Are Awami League Leaders Being Killed Inside Prison Using the Jakarta Method?
A cloud of mystery and growing outrage surrounds the death of Saidur Rahman Sujon, former chairman of Savar’s Birulia Union Parishad and a resistance figure against Jamaat during the July Movement, who died inside Dhaka Central Jail (Keraniganj).
While prison authorities claim the death was a suicide, political analysts view it as a “perfect execution of the Jakarta Method”—allegedly carried out by a Jamaat-jihadi-backed state apparatus.
An inmate who was in the same prison and has since been released on bail stated:
“It’s impossible for a grown man—let alone a teenager—to hang himself with a towel from such a low window grill.”
Sujon was widely known as a grassroots defender during Bangladesh’s political crisis on August 5, when many top Awami League leaders fled the country. He stayed back and publicly led the fight against Jamaat-Shibir and militant groups with his legally licensed firearm—images and videos of which went viral, earning him widespread praise.
One of the most powerful images from the July Uprising was Sujon standing beside local students with his licensed shotgun. While many senior leaders sought refuge abroad, Sujon stood his ground.
Later in January, Sujon was arrested by the Detective Branch from a house in Uttara. He was charged in over 15 cases, including one with the International Crimes Tribunal.
The “Jakarta Method” and the Shadow of a Jamaat-Jihadi Controlled State Organ
This is not just an isolated incident—it raises the question: Is there a state-backed policy of silencing resistance fighters?
While the state remains silent and pro-government media insist this was a suicide, experts warn that this matches the pattern of Jakarta Method executions.
Political thinker Azizur Rahman Asad had recently warned that the Jakarta Method was resurfacing in Bangladesh.
The Jakarta Method refers to the use of state structures to eliminate dissidents through extrajudicial killings—first seen in Indonesia but since adopted in other countries. Experts now believe that in Bangladesh, it’s being applied in a more “civilized” and discreet form:
“The state appears civil, but death is merciless.”
And this isn’t the first case—at least 24 Awami League-affiliated prisoners have died in custody in recent months, most labeled as “heart attacks” or “suicides.” None of these incidents have seen full investigations.
While human rights organizations have expressed concern, the government has remained silent.
Security analyst Aminul Haque stated:
“Jakarta Method executions are being carried out with precision by Jamaat-jihadi-controlled state organs. Many Awami League leaders in custody have already been killed—more may follow. The irony is that this Jamaat-backed ‘civil’ government will now give us lectures on human rights.”
