An Interview with Indian Media
In an interview with Amal Sarkar, Executive Editor of Indian media outlet The Wall, Obaidul Quader, the suspended General Secretary of the Awami League, shared his recent frightening experience. He said,
“I feel very lucky to be alive. That day, I was not supposed to survive. I was very close to death.”
He Took Shelter in a Neighbor’s House
Obaidul Quader explained that he did not stay in his own house in his parliamentary area.
“I avoided my own home and took shelter in a nearby house instead,” he said.
Protests and Looting Spread Across the Area
He mentioned that there were protests coming from all directions, and they were mainly focused on Gonobhaban, the official residence of the Prime Minister.
“We were surprised to see that the chaos even reached our parliamentary area,” he said.
“There were incidents of looting, and many different kinds of people were involved. It didn’t feel like a political uprising—it looked more like a looting uprising.”
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Attack on the House Where He Was Hiding
Obaidul Quader said the mob even attacked the house where he was hiding.
“They didn’t know I was inside, but they still attacked that house. They also looted my own house. I never expected them to attack the place where I took shelter. But even there, I saw people breaking things and stealing.”
Hiding in the Bathroom for 5 Hours
He said that he and his wife were hiding inside a bathroom.
“We stayed in the bathroom for a long time—about 5 hours. They even looted bathroom items like the commode and basin.”
His Wife Tried to Protect Him
Obaidul Quader said his wife tried to stop the attackers.
“At first, my wife stood at the bathroom door and told them I was sick. She tried to send them away. But they threatened to enter the bathroom by force.”
Unexpected Reaction from the Attackers
Eventually, a group of 7-8 young men forcefully entered the bathroom.
“They looked very aggressive and had a hostile attitude. One of them asked me, ‘Why didn’t you leave when the leader left?’”
But then something surprising happened.
“Suddenly, they recognized me. I don’t know what came over them, but they said, ‘We want to take a photo with you.’ Then they started taking selfies with me. These were students—some of them knew me.”
Their behaviour changed quickly.
“Their aggressive attitude disappeared, and they started talking calmly.”
Some Wanted to Hand Him Over to the Army or the Public
Obaidul Quader said that even after the selfie incident, things were not fully safe.
“Some people in the group wanted to hand me over to the army. Others wanted to give me to the public. That was mentally very painful and frightening.”
Escape in an Unexpected Vehicle
He continued,
“A few people took me out of the area by walking. My face was covered with a black mask. They walked me toward a big road.”
Then, something strange and lucky happened.
“Suddenly, a taxi or auto-rickshaw appeared out of nowhere. The vehicle was empty. There were no other vehicles nearby. It felt like a miracle.”
They helped him escape in that vehicle.
“Two people got me into the auto. As we passed many police checkpoints, they kept saying, ‘Our uncle and aunt are sick, we’re taking them to the hospital. Please don’t stop us.’”
They finally reached a safe place far away.
“We never imagined we would survive after they entered the bathroom. We were not sure if we’d live or not.”
Source: Bangladesh Times
