Rapper Hannan recounts his 12 days in jail

Narayanganj's young rapper, Hannan Hossain Shimul, made headlines with his explosive rap song "Awaaz Utha", which led to his arrest and subsequent imprisonment for 12 days. He was released after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government, brought down by the student-led uprising.

Hannan was arrested on July 25, just a week after the release of his 'controversial' song. Reflecting on the incident, he recounted how the police apprehended him while he was returning home from a relative's funeral in Fatullah's Bhuighor area. The police confiscated his phone without permission and found the song along with videos of the police chasing protesters and firing shots. "One of the officers said, 'We've got him,' and then they took me to the police station. They claimed I would be released after questioning," Hannan said.

However, Hannan's ordeal was far from over. He was detained at the police station from midday until the following day without informing his family. When his family was finally notified, they were asked to pay Tk100,000 in exchange for his release without charges. Later, the demand increased by an additional Tk20,000 due to "complications with the higher-ups." Eventually, the police demanded Tk150,000 to release him from the station, but before his family could return with the money, Hannan was already sent to court. He had been held at the station for 39 hours before being transferred.

In court, Hannan learned that he had been charged with vandalism and arson. The police requested a seven-day remand, but the court granted only two days. On the fifth day of his imprisonment, Hannan was taken into remand, where, fortunately, he was not subjected to any physical abuse.

Reflecting on his time in jail, Hannan said, "I had never seen the inside of a jail before. Being imprisoned without any reason was deeply unsettling. I had no idea what was happening outside. For a time, I was even denied visits from my family. When I finally saw them, the emotional weight was overwhelming. I later heard that many people had taken to the streets with banners in my support, and I couldn't hold back my tears."

Hannan was released on August 6, following the government's collapse. Describing the moment of his release, he said, "It's hard to put into words the joy I felt. I was supposed to be freed at 10am, but by the time I actually got out, it was 4pm. My family, neighbours, and friends were all there to welcome me."

Hannan revealed that during his time in jail, he was already planning his next song. He has since released a track titled "Risk" and is currently working on a new song inspired by his time in prison. "I've written half of it already. The full song will be released within a month," he shared.

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