Former Fisheries and Livestock Minister and Awami League leader Abdul Latif Biswas has been arrested as a suspect in the highly controversial case involving the murder of 15 police officers at Enayetpur Police Station in Sirajganj. The incident, which also involved arson and the looting of firearms, occurred on August 4, the day before the government’s fall. Nearly five months after the event, Biswas has been detained in connection with the case.

A joint task force arrested him on Sunday, January 5, from his residence in Kamarpara, located in the Belkuchi municipality of Sirajganj. Sirajganj Police Superintendent Faruq Hossain stated that the joint force brought Biswas to the district’s military camp for interrogation before handing him over to the police. Preparations are underway to present the former minister to court as a suspect in the case.

The case filed over the Enayetpur killings names four local Awami League leaders and activists, along with approximately 6,500 unidentified individuals as suspects. In earlier developments, other suspects, including Badijuzzaman Fakir, a chairman candidate from Ajugara village, and Mannan Fakir, a resident of Dhanakup and the elder brother of Salam Fakir, were also arrested.

Despite the dramatic fall of the Awami League government, which led many former ministers and lawmakers to leave their constituencies, Latif Biswas chose to remain in his ancestral home. Locals believe this decision ultimately worked against him.

Latif Biswas, who served two terms as a Member of Parliament for the Sirajganj-5 constituency (Belkuchi-Chowhali), did not secure party nominations for the 9th and 10th national elections. However, he remained active in politics and held influential positions, including the role of Sirajganj District Council chairman and president of the Sirajganj District Awami League.

His wife, Ashanur Biswas, general secretary of the Belkuchi Upazila Awami League, expressed dismay at the arrest. She described her husband as a veteran politician with no significant criminal record. She noted that he had lawfully surrendered two licensed firearms during the government’s stipulated period and claimed that the arrest was the result of local political conspiracies and vendettas.

Belkuchi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Zakaria Hossain confirmed that the case stemmed from an attack on Enayetpur Police Station during a protest on August 4, resulting in the deaths of 15 officers. The attack occurred during a wave of anti-discrimination protests involving students and citizens. The former minister has been arrested as a suspect in this case.

Authorities are continuing their investigation into the tragic incident, while Biswas awaits legal proceedings to determine his involvement in the violence.