Police attack on CPB General Secretary Abdullah Kafi Ratan and other activists in Dhaka

POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Dec 4. 2025 : Police ambushed and lathicharged a peaceful ‘Jamuna Yatra’ program initiated by leftist political parties at 11 am on Thursday to protest against the transfer of three terminals including the profitable New Mooring Terminal of Chittagong Port to a multinational company. The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) has expressed strong anger and protest over the incident.
After the rally held at the National Press Club, the procession of the Chief Advisor’s office towards Jamuna reached Kakrail intersection via Purana Paltan intersection and Bijoynagar when the police ambushed and lathicharged them. At that time, CPB General Secretary Abdullah Kafi Ratan was thrown onto the road and brutally beaten. CPB Central Committee member and labor leader Kazi Ruhul Amin’s head exploded due to the brutal torture by the police. More than fifty leaders and activists were injured during this time.
In protest against the brutal police torture of leaders and activists including the CPB General Secretary, the Presidium of the Communist Party of Bangladesh has demanded the immediate removal of the Home Affairs Advisor and the Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor on Home Affairs. In the statement, the leaders said that the brutality committed by the police by targeting the CPB General Secretary without provocation is not an isolated incident. Rather, after witnessing the situation, it seems that this incident was pre-planned.
The joint statement of the CPB Presidium said that the intentions of those who returned from abroad and took office in a free country by sacrificing the lives of thousands of people in the July mass uprising are clear to the countrymen today. Dr. Not only is the Yunus government handing over national resources to multinational companies following Sheikh Hasina’s path, but frontline fighters who protest against these misdeeds are being identified and persecuted in a fascist manner.
In addition to CPB General Secretary Abdullah Kafi Ratan, Central Committee Member Kazi Ruhul Amin, BSD (Marxist) Central Leader Seema Dutta, former student leader Jahar Lal Roy, Deepak Shil, Bangladesh Chhatra Union Central Antu Arindam, Prism Fakir, student leaders Imtiaz Rafin, Shoaib Ahmed Asif, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front leader Sushmita Mariam and at least fifty leaders and activists have been seriously injured and receiving treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital in the Kakrail intersection police torture incident.
The Student Union and the private university parliament have strongly condemned and protested the sudden and heinous attack by the police. Shoaib Ahmed Asif, the organizing secretary of the private university parliament, was injured in a police attack on a peaceful procession.
Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Private University Parliament President Rakibul Hasan Sujan and General Secretary Subeh Sadiq Sandhi said in a joint statement that the brutal police attack on leaders and activists participating in a peaceful program demanding the protection of the port is a bad example of violating the democratic rights of citizens and suppressing the just movement of the people.
The leaders also said that the current interim government is desperate to hand over the profitable Chittagong port of a country outside its jurisdiction to foreigners. In addition, the current government also secretly concluded an agreement to build a terminal in Laldia Char and lease the Pangaon terminal on the day of Sheikh Hasina’s verdict.
The leaders called on the people to strengthen the movement to force the government to immediately withdraw from its undemocratic decision and demanded justice for the police members responsible for the police attack and injuries during the peaceful procession.
Bangladesh Democratic Lawyers Association Central Committee General Secretary, Supreme Court lawyer Hasan Tariq Chowdhury, in a statement strongly condemned the barbaric attack by the police on the previously announced program of various left progressive organizations towards the Jamuna demanding the protection of Chittagong Port. In the statement, Advocate Hasan Tariq Chowdhury said, the Democratic Lawyers Association strongly condemns and protests the attack on all leaders and activists. He also said, this heinous attack by the police on this patriotic movement to protect national interests is a clear violation of Article 37 and Article 39 of the country’s constitution. He demanded immediate justice for this attack subject to a fair and impartial investigation.
The leaders of the Bangladesh Farm Workers’ Association strongly condemned and protested.
The association’s president Dr. Fazlur Rahman, executive president Adv. Anwar Hossain Reza and general editor Arnab Sarkar. In the statement, the leaders said, the current interim government is desperate to hand over the profitable Chittagong Port of the country to foreigners, which is beyond its jurisdiction. They demanded justice for the police members responsible for the police attack and injuries.
Former General Secretary, Ruhin Hossain Prince said, after receiving the Nobel Prize in 2006, Dr. Yunus had promised to open the Chittagong port upon his return to the country. Today, after 19 years, he is fulfilling his dream by leasing the port to foreigners. On Thursday, his own thugs attacked us during our peaceful agenda. I demand a fair trial for this incident.
President Sajjad Zahir Chandan said, ‘The people of the country own all the national and strategic resources of the country. The government does not have the authority to decide to lease the Chittagong port while keeping the people of the country in the dark. Our agenda is ongoing on this. I strongly condemn the heinous incident committed by Yunus’s army today.’