Saddam accuses jail superintendent of demanding bribe

Banned Chhatra League leader Jewel Hasan, also known as Saddam, has accused the jail superintendent of Bagerhat of demanding a bribe of Tk 500,000.

Saddam made the allegation while speaking to journalists after visiting the graves of his wife and child following his release on bail. A video of his statement has since circulated widely on social media.

In the statement given on Wednesday, January 29, Saddam said the superintendent demanded the money in exchange for allowing him to stay in Bagerhat. He also claimed that former lawmaker Sheikh Tanim has been keeping in touch with his family since his imprisonment and assisted them with legal expenses, bail and other matters.

According to Saddam and his family, he was sent to Bagerhat District Jail on April 6, 2024, following a court order after his arrest. On July 22, 2025, he was transferred from Bagerhat to Jashore Central Jail. He made the bribery allegation public immediately after being released on bail.

Prison authorities, however, have denied the allegations. They claimed Saddam had been aggressive from the beginning of his incarceration and faced complaints of verbally abusing and assaulting others. For security reasons, he was kept in a cell, which they said was not a punitive measure.

Bagerhat District Jail Superintendent Khondkar Md Al-Mamun said Saddam was transferred to Jashore due to behavioural issues and that there were no other incidents involved. He added that a superintendent does not have the authority to transfer inmates arbitrarily and described the allegations as baseless.

Earlier, widespread debate and criticism erupted nationwide after Saddam was denied parole following the deaths of his wife Kaniz Suborna Swarnali, 22, and their nine-month-old child. He was only allowed to bid farewell to the bodies at the jail gate of Jashore Central Jail, sparking public outrage.