Most leaders of 'Somomona Dokandar Samiti' are not traders

When Mofiz Uddin Ahmed once ran a business on the footpath near Mirpur-1, he became a member of the Somomona Dokandar Samabay Samiti Limited (a cooperative society of like-minded shopkeepers).

Although he left the business 15 years ago, he is still listed as a member of the society’s management committee.

On Tuesday afternoon, Mofiz Uddin Ahmed told Prothom Alo that he became a member of the society a long time ago and is no longer an active member.

Being over 70 years old, he cannot move around normally, nor can he attend the society's meetings.

Mofiz Uddin stated that the president and the secretary of the society included his name in the management committee.

The name 'Somomona Dokandar Samabay Samiti Limited' came into the spotlight following the demolition of the Radda MCH-FP Centre (Mother and Child Health Centre) in Mirpur on 24 September.

After vandalising and looting the healthcare centre for several hours, a group of 200 to 250 miscreants hung the society's signboard and banners at the site. The society's office address was listed as Baishakhi Supermarket, near Mirpur-1.

The health centre authorities filed a case at Shah Ali police station over the incident.

According to information from the Metropolitan Thana Cooperative Society Office in Mirpur, Somomona Samabay Samiti was registered on 4 May 1992, with registration number 35. Later on 2 April 2008, the registration was amended due to certain changes, including the society's shares and working area.

A nine-member management committee was most recently formed in July 2024. The society has a total of 85 members.

The management committee lists Mizanur Rahman Hazra as president, Kazi Mokbul Hossain as vice-president, Md Shah Alam Gazi as secretary and Kamal Hossain as treasurer.

Mofiz Uddin Ahmed, Mohammad Shakawat Ullah, Al Amin, Kabir Hossain Gazi and Bakar Siddique are listed as the five committee members.

Prothom Alo’s investigation found that four of the nine people on the management committee are not shopkeepers. They are not involved in any business either.

One of them has a shop address listed but no shop in his name was found at the address. The business or shop details of two others could not be verified. The remaining three have shops at the addresses listed for them but they are not directly involved in running those businesses.

Muhammad Firozul Alam, cooperative officer at the Metropolitan Thana Cooperative Society Office in Mirpur, told Prothom Alo that under the requirements for registering a cooperative society for the shopkeepers’, all members must own a shop.

These things are verified when an application for registration is submitted. They are not usually checked later. However, it is found during audits that some people subsequently have left their businesses. Others remain members by concealing information.

Speaking to leaders of the Shah Smriti Market and various nearby market committees, it was learned that these individuals were given positions on the management committee of Somomona Samabay Samiti Limited during the Awami League government. However, no new management committee was formed after the fall of the government following the mass uprising on 5 August 2024.

According to sources related to the Somomona Samabay Samiti several local BNP leaders are currently involved in the society’s activities.

Former member of the BNP's Dhaka North City unit Mohammad Hanif Mia and former member secretary of Metropolitan North Jubo Dal Mostafa Jaglul Pasha are general members of the society. Although there is a management committee, they effectively control its activities, the sources said.

They are known locally as close associates of reserved women's seat MP Ferdousi Ahmed Misty.

Ferdousi Ahmed was also president of the society in 2006, when she was commissioner of ward 8 under Shah Ali police station. However, she has repeatedly told Prothom Alo that she is no longer associated with the society.

According to the list of Somomona Samabay Samiti Ltd., shop No. 113 at Shah Smriti Market in Mirpur-1 belongs to society president Mizanur Rahman, while shop No. 114 in the same market belongs to secretary Shah Alam Gazi. The market is directly opposite the demolished health centre.

At around 12:30pm on Tuesday, no one was found at Mizanur Rahman’s shop. A sales employee was present at the adjacent shop, No. 114. Claiming that he had recently joined the shop, he said he knew nothing about Mizanur Rahman or Shah Alam Gazi.

While talking to other shopkeepers nearby, the salesman left the shop empty and walked away.

About 45 minutes later, when Prothom Alo returned to the area, a person was found at the shop listed under Mizanur Rahman’s name. He said Mizanur Rahman was not the owner of the shop.

The person said Shah Alam Gazi owned the shop No. 114. Shah Alam Gazi was Mizanur Rahman’s maternal uncle, he added.

Another shop No. 96, belonging to Mizanur Rahman, was later found in the same market. A tenant named Abdullah Hasan runs a business called Messrs Pabna Traders there.

Hasan said Mizanur Rahman was the owner of the shop but was not directly involved in the business.

Further investigation found another shop belonging to Shah Alam Gazi in the market.

He has rented out the shop No. 25 to a man named Rubel Gazi, who runs a spice business there.

Vice-president Kazi Mokbul Hossain does not have a shop address listed in the committee records. Prothom Alo visited the residential address listed for him and spoke to a security guard named Bakul Mia.

He said Kazi Mokbul Hossain lived in flat A on the sixth floor of the building but was not at home. The security guard could not confirm whether Mokbul was a businessman.

Treasurer Kamal Hossain’s shop address is listed as Nurani Jame Mosque Market. Despite speaking to several business owners and shopkeepers in the market, no shop could be found.

Prothom Alo later visited his permanent address at a residence in Turag City and spoke to a security guard named Nur Hossain.

He said he had been working at the building for three months and did not know anyone named Kamal.

Among the five members of the management committee, no shop or business connection could be found for Mofiz Uddin, Shakhawat Ullah, Al Amin or Bakar Siddique.

Shakhawat died some time ago, his family said. He was a lawyer.

Bakar Siddique’s shop address is listed as shop No. 54 at Baishakhi Super Market. When Prothom Alo visited the location, it found that the shop actually belonged to a man named Sakhawat Hossain.

He owns the shop through his family and has rented it out to a man named Akash. However, Akash stated that he did not know anyone named Bakar Siddique.

Another member, Al Amin denied being involved with the society’s management committee. He told Prothom Alo that he was a general member and mainly ran a travel agency. He said that he is not a shopkeeper.

He also claimed that he knew nothing about the attack, vandalism, occupation or looting.

Among the committee members, only Kabir Hossain was found to have a shop in Baishakhi Super Market.

Several attempts were made to contact Mizanur, Kazi Mokbul and Kamal Hossain by phone but their phones were found switched off.

Mohammad Helal Uddin, president of the Bangladesh Shop Owners Association, told Prothom Alo that those who register organisations as cooperative societies often seek to have government-owned land transferred in their names and then occupy it to build new markets.

Some corrupt government officials also assist them in these activities. Under the guise of a cooperative society, they primarily engage in criminal activities, he said.

Police have arrested 12 people in five days in connection with the incident. Among them is society secretary Shah Alam Gazi.

However, police could not provide any clear information on whether anyone behind the attack had been brought under the law.

People involved in the investigation said efforts were underway to determine who brought the excavator to the scene and who led the attack.

Police are analysing footage from several CCTV cameras. They said anyone found to have been involved will be brought under the law.