ATM Azharul Islam has said, “After spending 14 years in prison without any wrongdoing, I’ve now returned to my constituency. I thank my local community and the entire nation. I am now free, I am independent, and I remain in independent Bangladesh.”

He further remarked, “They say no one flees if they have public support, yet those who talked the biggest have fled the country. I didn’t flee, and neither did anyone from our side.”

Criticizing the judicial process, he added, “Those who framed charges against me had their reasons, but shouldn’t the judges at least have a conscience? They claim to have seen me from three kilometers away—is that even possible? Witnesses can certainly lie, but where did the judges’ conscience go?”