Attack on my house proves no one's home is safe: Kader Siddiqui

Krishak Sramik Janata League president Bangabir Abdul Kader Siddiqui, Bir Uttam, has warned that the recent attack on his Tangail residence proves that no home in the country is secure.

Speaking at a press conference at his house on Sunday (September 7), Siddiqui alleged that both domestic and international conspiracies were being hatched to destabilise Bangladesh. “I cannot say whether the government is involved in these plots. But if someone with the highest gallantry title in the country like me is not safe in his own home, then no one’s house can be considered safe,” he said.

According to Siddiqui, a group of miscreants attacked his residence around 2am on Saturday night. The assailants vandalised parts of the Sonar Bangla Community Centre located on the ground and second floors of the building, broke several windows and smashed two vehicles parked inside.

His caretaker told reporters that 10 to 15 attackers first threw bricks and stones at the house, before climbing the gate with a ladder. They then damaged cars and windows before fleeing as neighbours rushed to the scene.

The incident comes just days after a roundtable discussion at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity, organised by a platform called Mancha 71, where a mob handed over Kader Siddiqui’s elder brother, Abdul Latif Siddiqui, along with 15 others, to the police.

At Sunday’s briefing, Kader Siddiqui criticised the authorities for failing to act against those who had created the mob. “This government is repeatedly violating the law. I call on them to stop such acts and to take proper steps regarding the attack on my home. I condemn these arrests and urge the people of the country to rise against this injustice, otherwise the lives and property of our next generation will remain at risk,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Basail, Tangail, tensions mounted after rival groups announced separate gatherings at the Shaheed Minar. Kaderia Bahini had called a freedom fighters’ rally, while another group declared a student rally at the same time and venue. The administration imposed Section 144 to prevent clashes, and a heavy police presence was deployed to maintain order.