Former State Minister for Industries and ex-Member of Parliament for Dhaka-15, Kamal Ahmed Majumder, has announced his decision to retire from politics.
Majumder shared that he has officially resigned from the general membership of the Awami League and no longer holds any party position.
The announcement came on Monday as he left the courtroom of Metropolitan Magistrate Partha Bhadr in Dhaka.
Earlier that day, police had requested the court to approve his arrest in connection with the murder of Atikul Islam, a case tied to the anti-discrimination student protests in July.
Majumder appeared in court for the hearing, and the judge allowed the police request for his arrest.
After the hearing, Majumder took a moment to speak directly to the court.
"I would like to say something," he said, before adding, "I am 76 years old, and my eyesight is severely impaired, with 70% of my vision lost. I also suffer from diabetes, and the authorities are not providing me with a device to monitor my blood sugar levels. I have been arrested repeatedly and am now in prison for multiple cases. I cannot contact my family, and I don`t even know how they are doing."
In a heartfelt statement, Majumder continued, "At my age, I have decided I will never return to politics. Until my death, I will no longer be involved in political matters. I seek justice in this court. At my age, I should be enjoying time with my grandchildren, but instead, I am facing injustice. There is no way left but to pray to Allah. I am in prison, and I ask that you allow me a digital device to check my diabetes and the necessary medication. I also request a copy of the Quran."
The judge responded, saying, "Please file all your requests through your lawyer." With that, the judge left the courtroom.
As he was being escorted to the detention center at the Dhaka CMMA court, Majumder spoke to the media once again, saying,
"I have completely retired from politics. I have resigned from my membership in the Awami League. I no longer hold any position in the party. I am done with politics. From today, I will not participate in any political activities, especially not from prison."
Majumder added, "There is no environment for politics in this country anymore.
At 76, I believe it is impossible for me to continue in this field, which is why I have decided to retire. I hope new, young leadership will step forward."
The case against Majumder is linked to the tragic death of Atikul Islam, who was shot during an anti-discrimination student protest in Dhaka on July 19, 2023.
Atikul was taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead. On December 23, Ahsan Habib, a relative of the deceased, filed a murder case at Kafrul Police Station.
The case names several individuals, including Kamal Ahmed Majumder, alongside others such as Anisul Huq, Salman F Rahman, Kamrul Islam, Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun, and Shahidul Haque.
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