Religious Scholar Jasimuddin Rahmani released in Bangladesh after 11 years imprisonment

London - CAGE International welcomes the release on bail of Jasimuddin Rahmani, who spent 11 years in prison under trumped up charges relating to the murder of a blogger, widely believed to be an attempt to suppress religious freedom. 

Jasimuddin Rahmani is a renowned and popular scholar. He taught at numerous Madrasas and served as a Khatib in many mosques across the country. He also established the Markazul Uloom Al Islamia madrasa and mosque, dedicating himself to spreading the teachings of Islam. In August 2013, during a period of social unrest, Rahmani was arrested under false charges of being involved in the murder of blogger Rajib Haider. 

Following the success of the Students Against Discrimination movement and subsequent mass protests in Bangladesh that led to the end of former prime minister Hasina’s reign of terror, many political prisoners have now been released, sharing the horrors they experienced in prison.  

CAGE International has previously made calls for the full accountability of judicial and law enforcement officials complicit in the arbitrary arrests, disappearances, torture and prosecution of political dissidents and religious leaders. A specialised commission must review these cases and victims must be compensated for the injustices they have suffered.  

We reiterate our calls for the release of all the forcibly disappeared and arbitrarily detained in Bangladesh.