Md Abu Zahir is a former member of parliament from Awami League in Habiganj. Various allegations including land grabbing, fraud as well as controlling waterbodies and development projects have been levelled against him.
He would grab land on the pretext of resolving the land disputes. Others had to pay him commission for selling land. He would intervene in land acquisition for government projects.
Zahir's assets have increased multiple times in the last 16 years through controlling sand deposits (balu mahol), water bodies and development project contracts.
Awami League leaders and activists said he repressed not only on the opposition party leaders and activists but also on the leaders and activists of his own party.
He has inducted his family members and relatives in various posts of the Awami League and made some of them local government representatives.
Abu Zahir along with his followers controlled the entire Habiganj district.
The party leaders and activists alleged that his show of muscle power started when Awami League came to power in 1996.
Former Chhatra League leader Abu Zahir became district Awami League organising secretary. After obtaining the party post, he was involved in a feud with finance minister at the time, Shah AMS Kibria. Abu Zahir sought party nomination from Kibria's constituency of Habiganj-3 in the parliament election of 2001. The party nominated Kibria.
Shah AMS Kibria was killed in a grenade attack in 2005. Abu Zahir was nominated from Awami League and was elected MP in 2008. He was elected from Habiganj-3 (Habiganj, Lakhai and Shayesthaganj) in 2014, 2018 and 2024.
Land grabbing
Abu Zahir has a five-storey house on eight decimals of land at Habiganj Town Hall Road. TIt is said that he got the land by filling up a pond and selling the land of a Hindu family.
Near his house, Middle East expatriates Farid Mia, Khoaz Mia and Nizam Uddin, who are three brothers, have a three-storey house on 4 decimals of land. There are allegations that Abu Zahir recently bought the house at a nominal price by instigating conflict among three brothers.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Khoaz Mia and Nizam Uddin said Farid Mia is the eldest among three brothers. Abu Zahir instigated conflict among three brothers through Farid Mia's wife. One day, Zahir called two brothers and said he bought Farid Mia's portion of the house.
At one stage, they were compelled to sell the house for Tk 12.6 million, which is actually worth Tk 400 million.
He has not yet paid Tk 2.6 million.
Meanwhile, dispute over nearly 300 acres of fallow land has persisted between two groups of villagers in the Jalalabad-Noagaon village of the Sadar upazila. Abu Zahir promised he would resolve the conflict, but ultimately took control of 101 acres of land. In 2011, he established the Aleya-Jahir College on this land in the name of his wife and himself.
Habibur Rahman and Yusuf Ali from Noagaon village said that Abu Zahir formed a gang in the village to take possession of the villagers' unused land, leading to conflict with the land grabbers. He reportedly took the 101 acres under the pretext of resolving the dispute, registering it in the college's name.
Adjacent to the house, there is a three-storey building owned by three brothers, Farid Mia, Khoaz Mia, and Nizam Uddin, who work in the Middle East. Allegations have surfaced that Abu Zahir recently purchased this building for a nominal price by instigating discord among the brothers.
Commission for land registration
Nearly fifty industrial establishments have been established over the past 10-12 years in the Olipur area of Sadar upazila. Established industrial groups have set up their factories here due to ample gas and electricity supply. While these industrial owners could buy land in Olipur, they allegedly could not register it without the "approval" of former MP Abu Zahir. There are allegations that only after paying a 10 per cent commission on the land price, the land registration could be carried out.
A major industrial factory exists in the Olipur area. There are allegations that the company had to pay Abu Zahir a commission of five
Tk 50 million during the land purchase.
Preferring not to be named, a director of the company told Prothom Alo, "After buying the land, we were unable to register it for nearly a year. Abu Zahir told the sub-register to ensure we met him. Meeting him meant fulfilling his demands."
An official serving as a sub-registrar in Sadar upazila, who requested anonymity, said that Abu Zahir's associates constantly monitored the sub-registrar's office. Whenever someone from an industrial company came to register land, the information would reach Abu Zahir.
Cuts from contracts
In Habiganj, it is alleged that Abu Zahir has taken a cut from every major project undertaken by the roads and highways department over the past 16 years. Contractors for public works and the local government engineering department have also faced difficulties.
They alleged that Abu Zahir demanded a 10 per cent commission from the development project allocations, and even when other contractors were awarded work, he directed his own people to carry it out.
In the 2022-23 fiscal year, Mojaher Enterprise Private Limited in Khulna was awarded a contract worth Tk 122 million for the construction of a bridge over the Khowai River in Habiganj. However, the company could not undertake the work itself, so Abu Zahir had it completed through a contractor of his choice.
In the 2020-21 fiscal year, the Dhaka-based joint venture of Hasan Techno Builders, Janmabhumi Construction, and Wahiduzzaman Chowdhury obtained a contract for road construction worth Tk 105 million from the deputy commissioner's office in Habiganj. Although they were the official contractors, Abu Zahir had his favoured contractors carry out the entire job.
Wahiduzzaman Chowdhury and Rahat Hasan, owner of Hasan Techno Builders, have admitted that while they received the contracts, Abu Zahir had his own persons complete the work.
Contractors for public works and the local government engineering department have not found relief either. They have alleged that Abu Zahir has sometimes taken a 10 per cent commission from development project allocations, and at other times, even when other contractors were awarded work, he had his own people carry it out.
Corruption in land acquisition for govt projects
Abu Zahir allegedly misappropriated money from land acquisition for government projects in Habiganj. Balla customs station located in Kedaracourt area bordering Chunarughat in the district was declared a land port on 23 March 2016. A project of Tk 48.9 million was taken to develop the infrastructure of the land port. According to district administration sources, the government acquired 13 acres of land under Gazipur mouza of upazila for Tk 75.4 million for this project.
Residents of Gazipur area said Abu Zahir bought the land verbally by setting a price himself before acquisition of the land. The land owners sold the land for a price set by Zahir but they did not know the price that the government paid for the acquisition. It was kept hidden from them. The locals allege that Zahir misappropriated millions as a middleman. He also allegedly resorted to irregularities in land acquisition for Sheikh Rassel IT Park at his village Richi in Habiganj Sadar upazila.
Monopoly over lease of sand and water bodies
Environmentalists raised concern about sand extraction from inside the protection embankment of Khoai river in Habiganj. Yet, Zahir would force the local administration to lease balu mohals (sand deposits) every year. Persons of Zahir’s choice would get the lease.
Md Faruk Mia of Ganganagar village under Sadar upazila was awarded the lease of a portion of Khoai river in 1430-31 Bangla year for over Tk 30 million. He was awarded the lease the previous year. Although Faruk Mia got the lease, Zahir was behind it. Faruk Mia admitted that although the lease was taken in his name, Abu Zahir was overseeing the entire matter.
Apart from this, Abu Zahir would control many balu mohals in Chunarughat and Bahubal upazilas of the district.
Kachua Beel, Dholeshwari and Rabiarkona-Baharkona are among the biggest wetlands (jol mohals) of the district. The government leases these wetlands every three years. Jahir would take lease of these jol mohals under the names of different associations over the last 16 years.
Sunil Sarker, member of Bhobanipur Motsya Samity (fishermen's association), said, “Out of fear, we of the fisherman community could not take lease of any jol mohal for the last 16 years.”
All in the family
In the last 16 years, Zahir brought in many of his family members and relatives to the party to increase his own influence. His relatives became elected in local government bodies due to his influence.
Abu Zahir's wife Aleya Akhtar is the general secretary of the district Mohila League and son Ifat Jamil is joint general secretary of district Chhatra League. Zahir's brother Badrul Alam is the joint general secretary of the district Jubo League, brother Ataur Rahman is the joint general secretary of the district Awami League and nephew Faizur Rahman is the general secretary of the district Chhatra League.
Eight leaders of district and upazila units of Awami League told Prothom Alo none from the party could differ Zahir. Awami League has committees in six out of nine upazilas of the district.
Exerting his own influence, Zahir made his wife Aleya the chairman of Habiganj Zilla parishad, nephew Ataur Rahman the mayor of Habiganj pourashava, brother-in-law Kamruzzaman Al Bashir the chairman of Bhadesshor union parishad under Bahubal upazila and cousin Abdur Rahman the chairman of Richi union parishad.
About allegations of establishing dynastic politics in Habiganj, Abu Zahir told Prothom Alo in November 2023, "My relatives do politics of Awami League. Is it a crime? All are in their positions by virtue of their own competence."
Cases for expressing dissent
Abu Zahir was delivering a long speech before Eid prayer in Habiganj central eidgah in 2017. As the time for prayer neared, a person named Md Arob Ali requested Zahir to cut his speech short. Zahir scolded Arob Ali for intervening in the midst of his speech openly. On the very night, Sadar police arrested Arob Ali and sent him to jail in a narcotics case. As he secured bail in the case, he was sued under article 57 on the same day.
It is alleged that Abu Zahir harassed many people in this way to suppress dissent. Shoaib Chowdhury, a journalist of the local daily Prabhakar published a report on 5 November in 2016 about the possibility of Zahir getting nominated in the parliamentary elections. For this, four cases were filed against him under the Digital Security Act. He was arrested and spent three months in jail. Several cases were also filed against Sushant Dasgupta, the editor and publisher of the local daily Amar Habiganj Patrika, for publishing the news.
Prothom Alo carried a report on Zahir’s wrongdoings on 25 November in 2023. At that time, Zahir told Prothom Alo that he does not harass anyone.
‘Those who misuse journalism and undermine our dignity are not beyond the purview of law,’ Abu Zahid said.
Gold galore
Abu Zahir and his wife had 31 bhoris of gold 15 years back. After being a member of parliament for three consecutive terms, the gold amount of this family stands at 239 bhari. Of that, 108 bhoris belong to his son Ifat Jamil. At the same time, the annual income of the wife and son increased by about Tk 15 million. This information was obtained by reviewing the affidavits submitted with Zahir's nomination papers in the last four parliamentary elections.
According to the affidavit, Abu Zahir, a law graduate, had an annual income of Tk 242,790 in 2008. In 2023, his annual income increased to about Tk 3.7 million. In 2008, his wife had movable and immovable assets of Tk 970,584. According to the affidavit submitted in 2023, his wife had Tk 17.6 million of assets.
Fled after being surrounded
When the protestors brought a procession in Habiganj town on 4 August, the leaders and workers of Awami League and associate organisations led by Abu Zahir allegedly attacked them with local weapons. As the protesters chased the ruling party leaders and activists, they took shelter at Abu Zahir’s house in Habiganj’s Town Hall road. Several thousand protesters encircled the house of Abu Zahir. After around four hours of confinement, a team of Army rescued Abu Zahir and some other leaders of Awami League and brought them to Habiganj Circuit House. He went into hiding since the fall of the Awami League government the following day. He was not available for any comment.
Chowdhury Misbaul Bari, general secretary of Shushasoner Jonno Nagorik’s Habiganj unit, told Prothom Alo, ‘We witnessed usurpation, dominance and various irregularities during the tenure of Abu Zahir. Due to the complete dominance of Abu Zahir, a sense of instability and culture of fear existed in the society. We want a society with accountability. If Abu Zahir can be brought to justice, none will dare to create a reign of terror in future.’