‘Godfather’ returning to Feni!

A one-time godfather whose name and presence still evoke fear and strike terror in the minds of common people is thought to be planning to stage a comeback in the politics of Feni to regain his lost kingdom.

Joynal Hazari is learnt to be cashing in on the murder of Fulgazi upazila chairman and upazila Awami League Secretary Ekramul Haque Ekram to enter the district.

During the tenure of the caretaker government, joint forces tried to arrest Joynal on August 17, 2001 but he managed to flee the country.

He stayed in Kolkata and returned to the country after the Awami League assumed power in 2009, according to an intelligence report.

The Awami League suspended Joynal Hazari from the party on May 3, 2005 for his statement against the party. The suspension order is still in place.

For his long stay out of the country Joynal Hazari lost control of his bastion in Feni and failed to enter the district even after his return to the country.

Joynal has already sent SMSs to his close aides who were once members of his “steering committee” and stayed in constant touch with them.

The Dhaka Tribune has come to know about his plan to return to Feni politics from his close associates and steering committee members Shahjahan Saju, Sakhawat and Azharul Arzu.

Grassroots Awami League leaders and activists, who did not want to be named out of fear, told the Dhaka Tribune that Joynal had formed the steering committee with his close accomplices in 1993.

The committee was later renamed “class committee.” Its members ruthlessly suppressed those who dared to stand in the way of its leader.

Joynal, an accused in as many as 44 cases, including a number of murder cases, unleashed a reign of terror during 1996-2001.

His associates Saju, Sakhawat and Arzu are also accused in 20 to 25 cases each.

Nurnabi, convener of Dagonbhuiyan upazila Jubo League and a member of steering committee, told this correspondent: “I have learnt from our senior leaders that honourable Joynal bhai is coming back to take responsibility of Feni district Awami League.

“Bhaisa [the name Joynal is called locally] has already asked us to prepare and set up everything anew.”

A weekly owned by Joynal Hazari published a news item just two days before Ekramul Haque was murdered, saying a murder or an abduction was going to take place in Feni. The article also named a few probable victims of the incident, including Ekram.

Many believe Joynal was involved in the murder of Ekram as part of his plot to annihilate his oppositions, including present ruling party lawmaker Nizam Uddin Hazari who has already established his dominance over Feni in the absence of Joynal.

Nizam teaming up with Ekram, who was also a member of Joynal’s steering committee, was able to exert his influence in the district, they say.

Abdur Rahman, president of Feni district Awami League, told the Dhaka Tribune that Joynal Hazari was desperately trying to come back to Feni but people of Feni would never ever accept him again.

They will never accept a man who killed people and torment them for a long time, he added.

When contacted, Joynal Hazari said he had never been involved in the murder of Ekram and the truth had already come out with the arrests of leading political leaders of Feni.

Asked if he would come back to politics of Feni, he did not give any direct answer, only saying there should be an end to what was going on in the district.