Feni: Armed Awami League men remain at large, weapons not found

On the day before the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, 18-year-old Wakil Ahmed Shihab left home telling his mother he was going to get a haircut.

He joined an Anti-Discrimination Student Movement rally. In Mohipal, Feni, leaders and activists of the Awami League opened indiscriminate fire at that rally. Three bullets ripped through Shihab’s chest.

Shihab was the eldest son of expatriate Sirajul Islam of South Kashimpur village in Panchgachia union of Feni Sadar upazila.

He passed the SSC from the local Jailskar High School in 2023. His younger brother Wamid Ahmed Sayem studies in class-IX at a madrasah.

A few months before Shihab was killed, his father Sirajul Islam went to Saudi Arabia. Shihab had hoped to go abroad too and support the family. To that end, alongside his studies, he had been learning technical works related to mobile phones at Mohipal Plaza.

Shihab’s mother, Mahfuza Akter, has not yet recovered from the grief of losing her son. When this correspondent recently visited the home and asked about her son, she broke down.

She lamented that even though a year has passed, there has been no visible progress in the trial of the case. None of the gunmen who opened fire have been arrested.

Mahfuza also said that she has received various government and private aid in the past year since losing her son, but above all she wants justice for her child’s murder.

That day in Mohipal, seven students and people were killed by gunfire from Awami League leaders and activists.

Seeking justice for her son, Mahfuza filed a murder case at Feni Model police station on 20 August last year.

According to police data, seven murder cases and 15 attempted-murder cases have been filed, accusing a total of 2,199 people, over the killings in Mohipal during the July mass uprising.

The law enforcement also said many individuals appear as defendants in multiple cases. So far the police have arrested more than 1,000 people. The police submitted a charge sheet to court  in one case, the murder of college student Mahbubul Hasan Masum, on 31 July.

Only three identified suspects involved in the 4 August attack have been arrested to date — Nur Nabi Member, Chhatra League leader Shafiqul Islam, and former pourashava commissioner Khaled Hasan.

But photos and video footage showing at least 30 people taking part in the armed attack in Mohipal have gone viral. Neither those gunmen nor the top leaders, who led the violence, including former MP Nizam Uddin Hazari and senior leaders of Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League, have been arrested.

Local sources say many of the leaders and activists who are now away from the country or hiding keep in regular contact by phone and video calls.

Police and local political sources say Nizam Hazari’s close associates fired pistols, rifles, shotguns and other guns at the protesters that day. There are also rumours in Feni that Nizam Hazari’s cadres had M-16 rifles. However, the police have not recovered the firearms allegedly used in the killings.

Some local politicians say Awami League leaders fled the area — but they surely could not have taken all the weapons with them. So where did the weapons go?

Speaking about this, superintendent of police in Feni, Md Habibur Rahman told Prothom Alo, “I don’t think the weapons are still in Feni. If they were, they would have been used again. But the police are actively trying to recover the weapons.”

He also said operations to arrest the accused are ongoing. There are rumours some have fled the country, but the police have no confirmed information on that.

Although the country saw deaths of student protesters from law-enforcement firing during last year’s mass uprising, Feni was an exception. No one in Feni died from law-enforcement bullets.

On 4 August, seven people lost their lives in Mohipal; those shots were fired by leaders and activists of Awami League and associate organisations.

Local political and police sources say that as the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement spread nationwide, AL and its associate organisations under Nizam Uddin Hazari’s leadership held meetings in Feni pourashava almost every day.

To suppress the protests, Nizam Uddin Hazari ordered district and upazila presidents and general secretaries of the Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League, and each pourashava mayor and upazila chairman to be present in Feni for the 4 August attack.

Licensed firearms and other illegal weapons were gathered the day before.

On the morning of 4 August, Nizam Hazari again chaired a meeting in the Feni pourashava. From there weapons were distributed and the attack planned. Armed Awami League activists then publicly paraded with guns on main streets, including Trunk Road and Shahidulla Kaiser Road.

Around noon they moved toward Mohipal, firing along the way. At about 1:00 pm in Mohipal, the protesters had divided into groups and were performing the Zohr prayer on the highway when Awami League leaders and activists began shooting at them.

Nizam Hazari was the centre of power in Feni during Awami League’s tenure. He built an armed cadre force across the district. Among those who fired on the student-people were at least 30 of Nizam Uddin Hazari’s close associates.

Those seen openly firing included Lutfur Rahman (Khokon Hazari), organising secretary of Feni district Jubo League and former municipal councilor. He is Nizam Hazari’s cousin.

Shotgun fire was repeatedly seen from Kohinur Alam, president of Ward No. 3 Awami League and former councillor of Feni pourashava; Abdur Rauf, general secretary of Kazirbagh union Awami League; and former vice-president of district Chhatra League Ziauddin Bablu.

Chhatra League leaders were seen, including district president Tofayel Ahmed, general secretary Nur Karim Javed, Arnab, and Rakib.

Ajgor Fakir was seen firing a “.22 bore rifle”. He is an associate of former Fazilpur union chairman Mujibul Haque (Ripon Chairman).

Among those who took part in the attack also included, Ripon chairman himself, Sadar upazila Awami League president and former Chonua union parishad chairman Karim Ullah, Fulgazi upazila Awami League general secretary Harun Majumdar, former Daganbhuiyan upazila parishad chairman and district Jubo League president Didarul Kabir, Daganbhuiyan upazila Jubo League general secretary Abdullah Al Mamun, pourashava Jubo League joint secretary Saiful Islam (Nadim), organising secretary Saiful Islam (Pitu), district Jubo League industries and trade secretary Anowar Hossain, Ward No. 17 Jubo League president Sohel (Kalo Sohel), Sonagazi Jubo League general secretary Nurul Islam (Bhuttu), former Sarishadi union chairman Janan Alam, pourashava Jubo League president Rafiq Islam and general secretary Iqbal Hossain Bablu, pourashava  Jubo League leaders Mohan, Nahian and Sabbir.

Also seen firing were municipal Ward No. 18 councillor Saifur Rahman, Dhalia union parishad member Nur Nabi, Sarishadi union Chhatra League general secretary Shafiqul Islam Samrat, Awami League president of pourashava’s Ward No. 4 Shahabuddin, former Ward No. 6 councillor Abul Kalam (Goru Kalam), Sonagazi upazila Awami League general secretary Rafiqul Islam, organising secretary Kudrat-e Khuda Ishaq, former Mangal Kandi union parishad chairman Mosharraf Hossain Badal of Sonagazi, among others.

Local sources say a major supplier of weapons was former Sadar upazila chairman and upazila Awami League general secretary Shusen Chandra Shil, who is also seen in photos and videos from that day.

Also seen were former pourashava mayor and Awami League general secretary Nazrul Islam Swapon Miazi, former Chagolnaiya upazila chairman and upazila Awami League general secretary Mezbaul Haider Chowdhury Sohel, Chagolnaiya pourashava  Awami League general secretary Mohammad Mostofa, and Daganbhuiyan pourashava mayor and pourashava Awami League general secretary Omor Faruk Khan.

Most of these people are absconding, so Prothom Alo could not get their statements. No responsible person was publicly available in the area. Those contacted by phone declined to speak on record.

Local residents saw Nizam Uddin Hazari and other Awami League leaders and armed men in Feni even after midday on 5 August.

When the enraged public began attacking their houses, they escaped.

There is much discussion among Feni’s political circles about where they left the weapons in that short interval and how they managed to flee.

Multiple local politicians, journalists and grassroots Awami League activists said the Awami League leaders who fled maintain contact with local people via phone and video calls. They are busy protecting their businesses and assets. Many of those who fled later left the country in different ways.

Local sources say Nizam Hazari first fled to India and recently went to Cyprus from there. Two of Hazari’s close associates — former pourashava mayor Swapon Miazi and Fazilpur union Awami League president Ripon Chairman — have travelled between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia; Hazari has called them to Cyprus.

Most of those accused in the Mohipal killings and other local Awami League leaders are reportedly staying in Kolkata, India. Those include Khokon Hazari, Ziauddin Bablu, Harun Majumdar, Didarul Kabir, Rafiqul Islam, Saifur Rahman, Shusen Chandra Shil, Nizam Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury.

Jubo League leader Anowar Hossain went to Malaysia last month. A few leaders may still be hiding in Dhaka and Chattogram.

Local sources say leaders who do not have cases against them, or who did not engage in major wrongdoing or amassed much money during Awami League’s rule, are generally still in the area. These are the ones being arrested.

One such local figure, Kalidah union Awami League president Rafiqul Islam, who had no case filed against him, was at home but was arrested in June and imprisoned in one case; he was later arrested in another after bail was granted.

Speaking by phone with several political activists and local residents, who have communicated with the absconding Awami League leaders, Prothom Alo found that Nizam Hazari is trying to reorganise the party in Feni from abroad.

Those cadres who remain in the country and are financially needy are being given a monthly stipend of Tk 3,000. Lists of about 1,500 people from Feni pourashava and six upazilas are being compiled to receive this money.

Analysis of some screenshots of messages exchanged between the absconding leaders and local activists shows each ward in Feni pourashava is being assigned 30 people to receive Tk 3,000 each. In Ward No. 18, some 540 people have been included in this programme.

Nazrul Islam Swapon Miazi coordinates it. District Chhatra League general secretary Nur Karim Javed and pourashava Jubo League general secretary Iqbal Hossain are helping him.

Feni district BNP member-secretary Alal Uddin told Prothom Alo that the fallen authoritarian rulers and their leaders are trying to create unrest using their looted money.

He also said the local BNP is alert and will resist any attempt to create instability.