Maulana Ataur Rahman Bikrampuri, a hardline religious leader, has been arrested and sent to prison under a three-month detention order.

On Wednesday (December 24), a message from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) stated that Bikrampuri was apprehended in Narsingdi following a request from the Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP). Subsequently, he was sent to Kashimpur High Security Central Jail-1 under a 90-day detention order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the Special Powers Act.

Gazipur Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Md. Mohiuddin Ahmed explained, “This is an executive order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Under the Special Powers Act, the government has the jurisdiction to detain an individual if their activities are deemed dangerous or harmful to society and the state. This is not a court matter, but a government prerogative.”

Background and Past Arrests
Ataur Rahman Bikrampuri, also known as Asadullah or Ataur, is the son of Humayun Sardar and Rokeya Begum. His ancestral home is in Amtali village of Tongibari Upazila in Munshiganj. He serves as the Principal of Markazul Hunafa Al Muslimin Madrasa and Hunafa Islamic School in Jhikargacha, Jashore.

According to police records, he was a named accused in an FIR (No. 18/77) filed on March 24, 2020, under the Anti-Terrorism Act at Jhikargacha Police Station. He was previously arrested during the Awami League government's tenure for alleged ties to militancy. After the fall of the Awami League government, he resurfaced in the spotlight, participating in various programs and spreading provocative content on social media.

Involvement in Organizations
Bikrampuri is associated with several organizations and is highly active on social media. He is the Ameer of 'Azadi Andolan Bangladesh', the Central Joint Secretary of 'Boishammohino Karamukti Andolan' (Movement for Non-discriminatory Prison Release), and holds a position in the 'Shane Sahaba National Khatib Foundation'. He has frequently been seen at the forefront of various protests in the capital.

Recent Controversies
In October, Bikrampuri was vocal on social media regarding two incidents in Gazipur: the alleged rape of a madrasa student by a Hindu youth and the "abduction" of Mufti Muhibullah Miaji. While he was physically involved in pursuing these cases with the police, the authorities later clarified that the Miaji incident was not an abduction.

Recently, following the death of Inqilab Mancha convener Sharif Osman bin Hadi, Bikrampuri was seen leading a segment of the protest at Shahbagh. However, he reportedly ended his program midway and left after other protesters distanced themselves from his group.

Allegations of Extremism and Media Attacks
Citing a Facebook post by fact-checker and journalist Qadaruddin Shishir, a report by Daily Manab Zamin on March 7 noted that Bikrampuri is known for his "ultra-radical rhetoric" in sermons and online posts. The report mentioned his leadership in a protest in front of the Prothom Alo office in November 2024, where he allegedly forced the release of several detainees from a police station.

The report further claimed that Bikrampuri was arrested in 2021 as a member of the banned outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). Most recently, his name surfaced in connection with the December 18 attacks and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star. Posts supporting these attacks were seen on his verified Facebook page.

Reaction to the Arrest
Following his arrest, his followers claimed he was picked up by men in a microbus while traveling from Bhairab. The 'Boishammohino Karamukti Andolan' questioned the arrest on their Facebook page, stating: "We have been witnessing the arrest of innocent people. The government claims to be arresting based on video footage. We want to know—is there any footage showing Bikrampuri engaging in vandalism at Prothom Alo? Is discrimination starting anew in a 'discrimination-free' Bangladesh?"

What Bikrampuri Said Before His Arrest
Before being detained, Maulana Ataur Rahman Bikrampuri released a video message on Facebook regarding the attacks on Prothom Alo and The Daily Star. In the video, he claimed that the provocations for these attacks came from leaders of the National Citizens' Party (NCP), Islami Chatro Shobir and other political figures.

Bikrampuri stated, "Arrest me. I will plead guilty. I will confess and give a statement under Section 164. But along with me, arrest those who provided the provocation. We posted because we saw their posts; we posted after seeing Sadiqur Rahman Khan's post, Sarjis Alam's post, and Nasiruddin Patwari's post. If you are arresting common people, why not me? And if you arrest us, why should Nasiruddin Patwari be left out? Why should Sarjis Alam be excluded? Why should the Shibir leaders be spared? Do you think Bangladesh is a lawless land?"

He continued, "Arrest me; we are the ones who incited the mob. That’s why people went and formed a mob. But why did we do it? We did it following the lead of Nasiruddin Patwari and Sarjis Alam. When Sarjis Alam wrote that the revolution must be finalized—that there was a regret of not being able to do it before and it must be done now—we followed. By Allah, I say again, we didn’t directly name Prothom Alo or The Daily Star. Just as they made suggestive posts, we also made suggestive posts about removing symbols of Indian hegemony from Bangladesh. The people did what they understood as symbols of Indian hegemony."

Criticizing the current administration, he added, "Filing cases against 500 people, 'ghost cases'—this was Hasina’s culture. You have brought back fascist tactics. These newspapers, Prothom Alo and 'Delhi Star' (Daily Star), worked to protect Hasina, and today the interim government is busy protecting them. My brother Osman Hadi, the spirit of our revolution and the greatest symbol of anti-hegemony—you cannot arrest his killers. Your intelligence cannot even identify where the killers are. Bravo! Instead, the advisers have gone to bow down at Prothom Alo."

He further alleged, "Sarjis Alam posted that he didn’t go, but Nahid went. If this mob occurred, the NCP leaders did it first. Arrest the NCP leaders first. Then arrest the Shibir leaders. Then arrest the BNP leaders..."

Bikrampuri’s allegations could not be verified
The allegations made by the arrested Maulana Ataur Rahman Bikrampuri—claiming that the vandalism and arson at Prothom Alo and The Daily Star were incited by certain individuals—could not be independently verified. Furthermore, no statements have been obtained from the leaders of the NCP, Chhatra Shibir, BNP, or the mentioned online activists regarding this matter.