In September 2019, the Awami League government was hailed by various quarters for launching a crackdown on gambling, extortion, and other criminal activities that had been ripping apart our social fabric for some time. The raids resulted in the arrest of more than 250 individuals, including 11 from different AL-affiliate organisations. Among the prominent criminals whose names had surfaced were Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan, back then the organising secretary of Dhaka South City unit of Jubo League, Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat, and AKM Mominul Haque Sayeed, then president and joint general secretary of the same Jubo League unit, respectively. All three had been operating illegal casino (gambling) businesses, apart from organised extortion and money laundering schemes, among other criminal activities.
The drive came on the heels of the Awami League government’s victory in the much-talked-about 2018 general election, which they won riding high on their “zero tolerance against corruption” manifesto.
While Samrat and Khaled had been arrested and put behind bars, Mominul fled to Singapore. Last year, however, both Samrat and Khaled secured bail in the multiple cases against them, while Mominul returned to the country recently, apparently using a different passport, as the Bangladesh immigration department does not have any information on his return to the country.
It would be interesting to note that while Samrat secured bail in the fourth case of money laundering citing “poor health,” after he was produced before the court from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital, where he had been receiving treatment, one of his first actions after getting bail was to stage a “showdown” when he went to Dhanmondi to pay respect to the father of the nation, with a fleet of motorcycles and pickup vans carrying his supporters as part of his motorcade.
Coming back to the point, all three of these “casino kingpins” were apparently expelled from the party positions they had held after their criminal activities were exposed during the drive. I am using the word “apparently” because now there seems to have surfaced a new divide in opinion among senior party leaders on whether these criminals had been permanently expelled or if they still retain their primary membership within their respective organisations.
All three are becoming active in the political scene ahead of the upcoming general election. Per media reports, both Samrat and Khaled are flexing their muscle as they are being considered for reinstatement to party positions by a faction of senior leaders to utilise their strength during the election.
This should never be allowed.
First of all, these are known criminals, people who have grossly violated the law of the land, unscrupulously misled the country’s youth, shamelessly plundered and then laundered the nation’s resources abroad, and mercilessly extorted money from innocent people misusing their political powers. Such people should never be allowed to make a comeback into the fold of any political party, let alone the one that has been built on the ideologies of leaders like Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who toiled all his life for this nation and in trying to realise his ever-living dream of Sonar Bangla.
Allowing such criminals to return to their party positions, or be involved or associated with the party in any way, would go directly against the Awami League’s anti-nepotism agenda, and set a very risky and dangerous precedent. Such a move would erode the core tenets and values of the Awami League – everything the party stands for – and encourage all the party leaders, activists, and workers to indulge in criminal activities using their political muscle, safe in the knowledge that if they get caught, they can return to the party after a slap on the wrist and short trip to the prison, or even a nice holiday abroad, if one is lucky and have been informed on time.
Criminals like Samrat, Khaled, Mominul and the others should be behind bars and miles away from the political scene, especially given that the election is coming up. To win the ruling party’s favour, these notorious criminals can go to any length, which might unleash havoc in the country. The ruling party must own up to the responsibility of its actions and that of its affiliates and associates, and keep criminals away from the political scene. There is no alternative to this.
The fact that Mominul, on his return, has been made general secretary of Bangladesh Hockey Federation, instead of being arrested on criminal charges, is shocking itself. The nation is not in a position to take more of such shocks.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has also raised concern about the return of these prodigal sons in the political scene. “What message do the government and the ruling party want to give to the countrymen? No matter whatever crime is committed, will the offender be able to get away with it if he is associated with the ruling party? The government and the ruling coalition must take the responsibility to counter this evil process of institutionalising muscle power and corruption in the political arena,” said TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman, in a statement issued by the organisation.
In a democracy where it is the people’s trust, confidence and love that matter to win elections, why would a ruling political party feel the need to resort to seeking help from criminals? What else are these criminals capable of, other than striking fear in the hearts of the people?
The ruling party has been bold and vocal in condemning, in the strongest possible terms, the use of muscle power by the previous ruling regimes in this country. So why is a segment of the ruling party now trying to tread the same path? Does it not have confidence in the party’s ability to win elections? Given all the pictures of success the ruling regime paints before the people, this should certainly not be the case.
Criminals like Samrat, Khaled, Mominul and the others should be behind bars and miles away from the political scene, especially given that the election is coming up. To win the ruling party’s favour, these notorious criminals can go to any length, which might unleash havoc in the country. The ruling party must own up to the responsibility of its actions and that of its affiliates and associates, and keep criminals away from the political scene. There is no alternative to this.
Tasneem Tayeb is a columnist for The Daily Star. Her Twitter handle is @tasneem_tayeb