(Cross posted at Adda)
It is great news for the fundamentalist Jamat Islami in Bangladesh, as the current military backed Care Taker Government in Bangladesh has openly taken side with them. Yes, it is now reconfirmed by the highest authority of the National Coordination Committee that Jamaat is most likely immune from corruption. General Matin with his Army colleagues may seek comfort with Jamatis when the evidence shows Jamaat’s huge involvement into corruption. Daily Prothom Alo published an investigative report on July 23, 2007, “13 of its central leaders are charged with corruption. Out of their 17 MPs, 9 of them are facing charges”. So the question arises, why the current Adviser Gen M. A. Matin is maneuvering unconditional support for Jamaat? Who is he to certify Jamaat? Read his stark statement published today.
BD News reports, “Adviser MA Matin Wednesday said the caretaker government did not take any laidback approach to deal with Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists with suspected corruption ties. The chairman of the national coordination committee on serious crime responded to a question on why Jamaat leaders or activists were not arrested in the ongoing anticorruption drive. "Well, questions surfaced over the issue. It just may be that Jamaat leaders were not involved in corruption," he said. Matin, also communications adviser, told reporters in his office that the government was determined to hold elections by 2008 and took measures to prevent corrupt people participating in the polls. "I don't see any difference between a reformist and the one who is not when it comes to corruption”.
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Daily Star reports on July 26th, "Well, questions were raised regarding this issue [lack of Jamaat arrests]. But it might well be that they were never involved in any corruption," Matin told reporters in his office yesterday.
He said, "Jamaat is not being spared. If we receive any specific allegation, orders will be issued for an investigation."
However, three of the seventeen Jamaat lawmakers in the last parliament -- Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Gazi Nazrul Islam, and Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury -- are already under arrest on numerous charges.
Police sources said primary investigations into the allegations revealed numerous misdeeds of Jamaat leaders.
Jamaat ameer and former industries minister Matiur Rahman Nizami is an accused in the August 21, 2004 grenade attack case, and in the case of Paltan shooting on 28 October, 2006.
Bangladesh Worker's Party filed a case against ten senior Jamaat leaders in connection with the murder of one of its activists, Russel, during a clash between 14-party coalition and Jamaat on October 28, 2006. The accused ten include Nizami, Jamaat's secretary general and former social welfare minister Ali Ahsan Mujahid, its Senior Secretary General Mohammad Quamaruzzaman, Nayeb-e-Ameer Maqbul Ahmed, and Assistant Secretary General ATM Azharul Islam.
A supplementary charge sheet of the case will be submitted on August 2 following several hearings.
Mujahid and Abdul Kader Molla are also accused in the August 21, 2004 grenade attack case filed by Badar Aziz Uddin, who had been injured in the attack.
Mujahid is also accused in a case filed on May 3 by a Sylhet businessman in connection with an extortion of Tk 25 lakh by four local Jamaat leaders using Mujahid's and former Jamaat lawmaker Fariduddin Chowdhury's names.
Yet, Mujahid was allowed to travel on a five-day trip to Turkey on June 16, while Hasina was not allowed to travel to the United States last month for being charged in an extortion case.
Former Jamaat lawmaker from Comilla-12 constituency, Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, was arrested on March 7 by the joint forces for encroaching upon government land, ponds and sand-banks.
Taher is also one of the 12 accused in an embezzlement case filed by two government officials on June 29, which accuses Taher and his brother along with 10 others, of siphoning money from government project funds.
Police sources said proof of the embezzlement was sent to the ACC.
Taher also have numerous other allegations against him including having links with several murders, and allocating Tk 14.65 lakh illegally for a college established in his mother's name.
Jamaat's former lawmaker from Satkhira-5 constituency, Gazi Nazrul Islam, had been named on a list of people who aided and abetted corruption, and he surrendered himself to the joint forces on March 9.
He is accused of abusing his position as a lawmaker to grab 25 bighas of land and shrimp farms, and of amassing massive wealth.
Nazrul is also reportedly guilty of embezzling Tk 1.68 crore by creating a 'ghost' test relief programme. Three other extortion cases against Nazrul are currently underway.
Mowlana Abdus Sobhan, former lawmaker of Jamaat from Pabna, is accused in a case of misappropriating relief goods, after 160 sheets of corrugated iron sheets were recovered from his clinic in Pabna on June 27.
Former Jamaat lawmaker from Nilphamari, Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury, surrendered himself on February 19 and was later sent to jail for embezzling 239 corrugated iron sheets which had been marked as relief material.
Former Jamaat lawmaker, Shajahan Chowdhury, has been accused in 24 cases since 2001, including murder, and was named by the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) on the February 18 list of corruption suspects. The joint forces raided his house on February 3 on suspicion of corruption.
But he walked out in front of law enforcement officials after submitting his wealth statement on February 20. Three extortion cases were filed against Shajahan in the last two months. He is currently in hiding.
He was acquitted in three murder cases while Jamaat was part of the four-party alliance government.
Former Jamaat lawmaker from Khulna-5, Golam Parwar, is accused of driving a jute mill to bankruptcy between 2002 and 2004. A case was filed on June 27 with Khanjahan Ali police station by the mill manager accusing Parwar of bankrupting the mill by looting Tk 35 lakh worth of goods and leaving the mill with a Tk 2 crore electricity bill.
On February 20, five bundles of corrugated iron sheets were recovered from a madrasa patronized by former Gaibandha-1 Jamaat lawmaker, Mowlana Abdul Aziz. No case has been filed against Aziz as yet.
We can coin Mr. Matin as a new albadar, alsams. Or was he all the time?
With this current Government taking over the power on 11/01/07 and because of the mass anti corruption drive, as like many others, I am thrilled and really excited about the future of our country. The role of ACC behind this drive is really praiseworthy. Our local Member of Parliament Mr. Mirza Abbas was also arrested in this drive. But to our utter surprise, one of his key aquaintances Jamaat E Islami leader Mr. Khondokar Abdur Rob, Ward Commissioner 36 (Purana Paltan, Naya Paltan, Shantinagar) was never arrested. He is also known to be a very highly regarded donor to Jamaat E Islami Bangladesh.
When I first moved into this area in 1998 this person was living in a slum and was working as a cashier in a local restaurant. As far as I remember, other than doing his job he used to gather people for processions and public gatherings arranged by Jamaat E Islami. In 2001 with the direct influence of the then Government of Four Party Alliance he became our Ward Commissioner beating the AL candidate Mr. Kamal Chowdhury.
I do not have all the details about his current wealth and assets but what I can see now is, he lives in a posh apartment at Purana Paltan (Thikana Apartments), drives one Pajero, one Voxy Microbus, one of his son studies in a very expensive private university in Malaysia, and I also heard he got lands and apartments in different areas of the city. With a local BNP leader named Osman Gani, he also grabbed several lands in Paltan area and now developing multistoried buildings on those lands. I wonder how he became so much rich so quickly.
Not only that, as the Baitul Mukarram area is under this ward, I have a doubt he is also involved in the political turmoils in and around the mosque. No one dares to say him anything as he keeps a good rappo with the local Paltan Police Station and with Shibir activists. Also, in our locality, his supporters demand he will never be investigated as pays a daily amount to the local army camp and to the taskforce establishment at Dhaka City Corporation office.
Jamaat-e-islami inshallah will be win this election.
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