AJM Nasir Uddin was a 'patron' of criminals in Chattogram

It was not only Chattogram, but adjoining districts too that were under his influence. No committee of Awami League, Jubo League, Chhatra League and other associate organisations could be formed without his consent. Armed cadres in different colleges, wards and thana units would move around openly under his protection. He opened his port-centered business empires using his political clout.

The man is AZM Nasir Uddin, the former mayor and Chattogram city Awami League’s general secretary. Former Awami League lawmaker from Feni, Nizam Uddin Hazari, is supposed to be a political disciple of Nasir. The Feni lawmaker sent his criminal gang to Chattogram to ensure the victory of Nasir in mayoral election of Chattogram in an ‘one-sided’ election in 2015.

Nasir, who led the Chhatra League in Chattogram in the 1980s, was the main controller of student politics in Chattogram’s educational institutions. He would control nine out of 11 sub-groups of Chhatra League in Chittagong University. These nine sub-groups were behind violence, killings, extortion, sexual harassment and every other criminal activity on the campus.

In the last five years, at least 168 clashes took place in the campus. Nasir’s men were allegedly involved with double-murder in CRB and killing of central Chhatra League leader Diaz Irfan Chowdhury. The criminals would carry out crimes under the aegis of Nasir.

Although he was a top leader of a major party, he wouldn even look into minor posts of smaller organisations. He allegedly ran the party and formed committees according to his will. While in the mayor post, he was criticized for slapping an engineer and bringing allegations of seeking a 5 per cent bribe against the local government officials. During his reign, a contractor fled with Tk 330 million without completing work. Irregularities also took place in installing street lights.

In the last decade, CU campus was controlled by 11 sub-groups of BCL. Two of these were controlled by former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury and the rest were under control of Nasir. BCL leaders fled the campus after the fall of Awami League government on 5 August. Students who expressed any dissent would face torture by these BCL groups. Apart from 168 clashes, these BCL men were involved with at least 40 incidents such as vandalizing the vice chancellor’s office and abducting drivers of shuttle trains.

Allegations are there that Nasir would recommend posts for his followers who had already ended their studentship. CU Chhatra League’s joint secretary Raju Munshi is one of them. Raju Munshi, the accused in the Chittagong CRB double murder case, has always been notorious for extortion, clashes and even threatening to kill teachers.

Apart from this, former general secretary Iqbal Hossain, joint general secretary Sayedul Islam, Shamsuzzaman Samrat, vice president Pradeep Chakraborty, Mainul Islam, Abu Bakkar Toha and theater and debate secretary Sajjad Anam, who are followers of AJM Nashir Uddin, have controlled the residential hall alone.

From the university administration to the contractors, everyone was exasperated with the extortion of BCL leaders and activists. The contractors had to stop the construction work due to their disturbance. They did not get any respite despite filing multiple cases and complaints. On 9 April last year, the university officials observed a strike seeking trial of three leaders of BCL. Among them, Mofazzal Haider Ibn Hossain and Sadek Hossain, the former vice-presidents of the CU BCL, were followers of AJM Nasir.

The university’s staff went on work abstention that year seeking punishment of Raju Munshi who was accused of beating up a chief engineer. The biggest incident of vandalism in the history of the university took place on 7 September of the same year. According to the administration, the university incurred a loss of Tk 32.9 million due to that vandalism. Six of the 12 BCL leaders and activists in the case filed in this incident were Nasir's followers.

Apart from this, the control of Chhatra League in Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) has been in the hands of Nasir for a long time. For five years, another faction of the Chhatra League was active here. That new group would introduce themselves as followers of Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury. The two sides clashed several times. Similarly, Nasir controlled the student politics of Chittagong Law College and Government Commerce College.

Saiful Alam alias Milon, Alamgir Tipu, Iqbal Tipu, Md Firoz, ward councilor Esrarul Haeu and Abdul Qader alias Mach (fish) Qader were among the top armed cadres of AJM Nasir. Of them, Firoz and Esrarul were on the streets during the July-August anti-discrimination movement.

Firoz allegedly shot at student protesters on 16 July at Muradpur area. He and Esrarul allegedly shot protesters at Chandgaon police station area on 4 August. A picture of arms-wielding Firoz was also published in the newspaper. The duo has been named in at least five cases filed over the clashes.

Chattogram’s additional police commissioner (media) Kazi Md Tareq Aziz said effort is on to arrest armed cadres including Firoz and Esrarul.

Firoz was known as Chhatra Shibir cadre. Police arrested him twice with arms, once in February, 2011, and again in July, 2013. In around, 2014-15 he set up billboards at Baizid area of the city identifying himself as Jubo League man. The billboards had pictures of AJM Nasir and former Chhatra League leader Didarul Alam. Firoz is still with Nasir.

Esrarul Haque is also a follower of Nasir. He was the councilor of Chandgaon ward. He was accused of using arms in the past. Esrar leads a group of criminals in his locality. He is also listed by police as a leader of a teen gang.

Saiful Alam alias Limon is an accused in a double murder in CRB that took place in June. He is also accused over the attack on students-protesters at New Market area on 4 August. Two other followers of AJM Nasir, former ward councilor Shaibal Das Sumon and Nisar Ahmed alias Manju of Uttar Kattali ward, were also accused in the case.

Among the other councilors, Jahurul Haque Jashim is accused of hill raging and criminal activities. Jashim became reckless due to Nasir’s patronage. He is accused in at least five cases. A charge sheet was submitted against him over hurling stones towards the vehicle of environment, forest and climate change adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan.

Nasir became mayor of Chattogram for the first time, beating incumbent mayor Manzur Alam in a controversial election in 2015. Nizam Hazari, the Feni MP known as a follower of Nasir, sent cadres in droves to Chattogram to influence the election and stuff ballot boxes. Manjur boycotted the election within 12 noon.

During his five years as mayor, there were allegations of various irregularities against Nasir. He was allegedly not nominated from the party a second time in 2020. During his tenure as mayor, AJM Nasir was accused of slapping an engineer of the National Housing Authority in the city building. The incident took place amid a dispute between the city corporation and the housing authority over a site for the expansion of the Port Connecting (PC) road.

Nasir was also accused of providing Tk 330 million to a contractor company for government projects despite the work being incomplete. The contractor stopped the work on the pretext of a ‘fund crisis’. The city corporation provided the contractor Tk 80 million from another project. The contractors were facilitated in two important development projects of the city corporation in 2018. The contractors left with the money without finishing the projects. The projects are development of PC Eoad and construction of an embankment and road beside Mahesh canal.

Two contractor firms--M/S Rana Builders and M/S Rana Builders-Saleh Ahmed—got the work of a 6 km road. Contractor firm Saleh Ahmed would do all the work. Owner of the firm was Jakir Hossain, president of Awami League of Pirjatrapur union in Cumilla’s Burichong upazila.

The firms received loans from United Commercial Bank’s Cumilla branch for the work with a condition that the cheques would be provided to bank’s representatives instead of the contractors. But the city corporation itself breached the condition and handed over 14 cheques of Tk 250 million to the contractors.

AJM Nasir became the general secretary of the Awami League in 2013. The then mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury was president of that committee. After the death of Mohiuddin in 2017, Nasir became the sole controller of the party in Chattogram. He established his own groups, which led to a tug-of-war. In the latest incident, Nasir got involved in a heated exchange with the immediate past mayor and Awami League’s joint secretary Rezaul Karim on 20 June this year during the party council.

At that time, Rezaul Karim alleged that Nasir formed ward, thana, and unit committees at his will and did not pick the leadership based on dedication. AJM Nasir was general secretary of Chattogram District Sports Association for over a decade. In 2011, he first took power by defeating the then general secretary Hafizur Rahman. After that, he was elected unopposed for the same post for three more terms. No one ran against him to avoid trouble.

He allegedly resorted to forgery to become chairman of Chattogram Cooperative Housing Society. He was president of the society for three consecutive terms. After that, his elder brother Saifuddin was appointed to the post. It is alleged that he resorted to various irregularities when he was a member of the society with around 4500 members.

AJM Nasir was also the president of Chattogram Brothers Union. He was also the director of Bangladesh Cricket Board. Nasir is yet to leave the post despite the political changeover.

Nasir went into hiding after the fall of Awami League government in student-people uprising. He could not be reached over the phone for comment.

AJM Nasir Uddin became active in the politics of Awami League in the beginning of the 80's. He became the president of Chittagong College Chhatra League unit in 1977. He served as cultural affairs secretary of Chattogram city unit Chhatra League at the same time.

He served as the Chattogram city BCL general secretary in 1980 and 1982. He was appointed as the vice-president of the central Bangladesh Chhatra League in 1983 and 1985. At one stage, he formed a group in the student politics in the city and gradually spread it in the politics of Awami League.

Nasir Uddin was elected a member of the executive committee of the city Awami League twice in a row. He was made the general secretary of the city unit of Awami League in November 2013. That committee is still in place.

Speaking about the activities of AJM Nasir Uddin, Akhtar Kabir Chowdhury, Chattogram chapter secretary of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN), said controlling student politics, crime and violence of his followers and control of contracts were always associated with the name of Nasir Uddin.

Akhtar further said he cannot avoid the responsibility of involving the students in the politics of criminalisation without developing them as good citizens and good politicians.

Because of this, the academic environment for students in various institutions including the Chittagong University and medical college has been disrupted. This was not warranted from a politician, he insisted.