19 Awami League leaders, activists jailed over 'Joy Bangla' slogans at ex-minister Mosharraf's janaza

Police have arrested 19 leaders and activists of the banned Awami League and its associate bodies after they allegedly chanted 'Joy Bangla' slogans and brought out a procession following the janaza of former housing and public works minister and freedom fighter Mosharraf Hossain in Chattogram. The arrestees have been sent to jail under the Anti-Terrorism Act .

The arrests were confirmed in a press release by Chattogram Metropolitan Police on Friday afternoon, May 15 .

According to local sources, following the janaza of Engineer Mosharraf Hossain at the Jamiatul Falah Jame Mosque ground on Thursday morning, leaders and activists of the banned Awami League reportedly chanted 'Joy Bangla' and other anti-government slogans as they took to the main streets .

The procession participants were allegedly armed with sticks, bricks and stones and had gathered with the intention of committing sabotage, according to police .

The arrestees have been identified as Md Mohiuddin, 39; Md Suman, 24; Md Emon, 23; Md Murtuza Mehedi (aka Mehedi Hasan), 22; Md Bashar (aka Hasan), 24; Md Sajib, 27; Md Musa, 42; Md Sohel, 28; Md Monir, 37; Rayhan, 29; Elias (aka Milon), 26; Md Zahidul Haque (aka Sohag), 24; Md Shahin, 27; Md Sharif, 20; Md Choton (aka Rakib Mia), 28; Al-Amin, 24; Md Saddam Hossain, 29; Md Russell, 25; and Md Joynal, 22 .

A case under various sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009 (Amendment-2013) was filed at Kotwali Police Station (Case No-27, dated May 15, 2026). Police also recovered 15 pieces of broken bricks and eight wooden sticks from the scene .

Several of the arrested have prior cases against them, including for arms, dacoity, robbery, theft and women's repression, according to the CDMS records.

Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Aftab Uddin said the 19 were arrested while attempting to cause harm to the public by chanting slogans with sticks. Most of them already have multiple cases under the Anti-Terrorism Act filed against them at various police stations .