Prominent Narayanganj Chhatra Dal Leader Zakir Khan Released from Jail, City Sees Massive Traffic Jam During Showdown

Zakir Khan, the former president of the Narayanganj District unit of the Chhatra Dal and a well-known political figure, has been released from jail. He was freed from the Narayanganj District Jail at around 10:30 AM on Sunday. Following his release, a large number of his supporters held a motorbike and private car showdown across the city, resulting in severe traffic congestion and causing major inconvenience for residents.

According to reports, Zakir Khan was accused in a total of 33 cases, including one for murder. After being on the run for a long time, he was arrested on September 3, 2022, in a raid by RAB-11 in Dhaka’s Bashundhara Residential Area. Since then, he gradually secured bail in multiple cases. On January 7 of this year, he was acquitted in the Sabbir Alam murder case.

News of Zakir Khan’s release prompted crowds of party leaders, activists, and relatives to gather in front of the district jail as early as 8 AM. They celebrated with band music and slogans. At 10:30 AM, as he walked out of jail, supporters welcomed him with flowers and garlands. Zakir Khan waved the national flag, the flag of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and the Palestinian flag while celebrating with his supporters. He then toured the city in a car convoy, which caused a severe traffic jam across Narayanganj.

Superintendent of Narayanganj District Jail, Mohammad Forkan Wahid, said, “Zakir Khan was released this morning. He had been serving a five-year sentence under the Anti-Terrorism Act in a case filed several years ago. After completing his sentence, he was released today.”

His lawyer, Advocate Robiul Islam, said, “Zakir Khan had 33 cases filed against him. He has been acquitted in 32 of them and is currently on bail in the remaining one.”
Regarding the Anti-Terrorism case, he added, “The case was filed a long time ago. Zakir Khan has now completed his sentence in that case and has been released.”