By Special Correspondent: Mohammad Masud Rana, a renowned US-based Bangladeshi film producer and businessman, has reportedly received a death threat from an individual named Kha. Ma. Azad via a Facebook Messenger call on August 15, 2025. The accused, identified as a local activist of Islami Chhatra Shibir in Barisal Metropolitan area, allegedly escalated the threat into violence the following day by attacking Masud Rana’s ancestral home in Charmonai village, under Barisal Sadar Upazila.

During the incident on August 16, Masud Rana's maternal cousin, Alhaj Md. Selim (58), protested the attack. While on his way to the local police station to file a complaint, he was ambushed by Kha Ma. Azad and five accomplices. Another individual, Nazmul Hasan (39), was also injured during the attack. Both victims were rescued by locals and admitted to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barisal.

After undergoing treatment for 20 days, Alhaj Md. Selim passed away on the night of September 9, 2025. His family alleges that when they attempted to file a murder case, police officers at the station refused to accept their complaint and forced them to leave.

Nazmul Hasan, an eyewitness and survivor of the assault, said:
“On Monday, August 18, at around 11:00 AM, near the Jor Mosque in the Bhatikahana area of Barisal city, I saw Shibir leader Kh. M. Azad and 5–6 others beating Alhaj Md. Selim with iron rods, metal pipes, and hockey sticks. Selim was screaming for his life and crying in pain while lying on the ground. When I rushed to help him, they attacked me too. Eventually, locals intervened and the assailants fled. We were both taken to Sher-e-Bangla Hospital. I was released after primary treatment, but Selim remained hospitalized due to severe injuries. He later died on September 9.”

When contacted on WhatsApp for comment, Masud Rana stated:
“On August 13, 2025, former MP and actor Ferdous visited the US, where he met with me alongside actresses Moushumi and Rituparna. I posted a photo with them on Facebook. Shibir leader Kh. M. Azad saw the photo and called me on Messenger, hurling abusive language and labeling me a supporter of a ‘fascist regime’ and an ‘Indian agent’. Shortly afterward, I learned that he attacked my family home and brutally beat my cousin, who later died.”

A Long History of Political Persecution

Masud Rana, who is known to be politically affiliated with the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), claims to have been repeatedly targeted during the tenure of the ruling Awami League government. He has faced multiple politically motivated cases, harassment, and physical torture by law enforcement agencies.

According to him and his close associates, the harassment began on October 15, 2012, after he gave a strong anti-government speech at a party meeting held at the WAPDA Auditorium in Motijheel, Dhaka, where he criticized enforced disappearances, corruption, and state-sponsored violence.

After the meeting, while returning home, he was reportedly abducted near Moghbazar Railway Gate by officers from Paltan Police Station, led by then-OC Golam Sarwar. Masud Rana was blindfolded, handcuffed, and beaten. He alleges that he was held under Moghbazar’s Piyasa Bar for two hours and was asked to pay a ransom of 5 million BDT. When he failed to pay, he was taken to the police station and subjected to overnight torture, leaving him with fractures in his left hand and leg. He was denied medical treatment and produced in court two days later, where police sought a 10-day remand. The court, considering his physical condition, granted only a 2-day remand.

Following this, he was again taken on remand in another fabricated case by the Detective Branch (DB), led by Officer Ahad. There, he was subjected to further inhumane, medieval-style torture. After spending 20 days in jail, he was granted bail on November 5, 2012. Fearing for his life, he went into hiding and tried to appear in court from various safe locations.

On November 23, 2012, while preparing to appear in court for a scheduled hearing, he learned from sources that a group of plain-clothed men were waiting outside the courthouse in a black microbus to abduct him. Realizing the danger, he fled the scene and left Bangladesh via Benapole border with his family.

He received medical treatment at Columbia Asia Hospital in Kolkata for five days. On November 29, 2012, he flew to the United States with his wife and children to seek political asylum and ensure their safety.

Even after his departure, his home in Charmonai, Barisal, came under fire by alleged ruling party operatives, who reportedly fired two rounds of bullets and vandalized property.

Business Takeovers and Fabricated Cases

Masud Rana alleges that due to his political alignment with the opposition, several individuals with connections to the ruling party targeted his businesses. He claims that individuals named Halima Begum, Delwar Hossain, Rahima Akhter Tulu, Mahmudul Hasan, and Ekramul Haque Sabuj, filed multiple false lawsuits against him.

He lost ownership of two office floors in his commercial property at 51 Purana Paltan, Dhaka. These were allegedly seized by former Jubo League leaders Ismail Hossain Samrat and Khaled, who forced the original builder, Rafiqul Islam, to sign over the property and then sold it illegally.

Rana also stated that his cosmetics factory, Aymway Cosmetics, located in Shologhor, Mawa, was forcibly occupied by Shoheb Hossain Chowdhury Sokha, the Joint General Secretary of the local Jubo League in Srinagar.

On January 14, 2015, when Rana could not be found, his brother Golam Morshed Rahat was allegedly detained by DB police, tortured, and released only after paying a ransom of 500,000 BDT. Law enforcement still frequently visits his Barisal home in search of him.

Fear for Life and Appeal for Justice

Masud Rana currently resides in the United States and says he is terrified to return to Bangladesh due to continued threats to his life and safety. He is calling on the international community, human rights organizations, and the Bangladeshi diaspora to raise their voice against political persecution, and to demand justice for the murder of his cousin and the unlawful seizure of his properties