'Maleque Party' formed to 'rule' Manikganj

55When Zahid Malque was elected a member of parliament (MP) for the first time in 2008 he became active in creating a group. His influence rose after he became the state minister for health following his victory in the 2014 elections.

When he established sole dominance in Manikganj, a group consisting of his relatives and supporters became known to leaders and activists at the grassroots as the ‘Maleque Party.’

The former health minister of the ousted Awami League government allegedly controlled Balu Mahal and the public transport sector, as well as carried out corruption and irregularities, and grabbed other people’s lands and purchased those at lower prices.

He made a fortune by using the influence of the Maleque Party. The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) froze his and his family members’ bank accounts. Recently, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) sent letters to the office of the sub-registrar at the district seeking information on the wealth of Zahid Maleque and his family members.

Leaders and activists of Awami League and locals said though anger over the activities of Zahid Maleque persisted in the party it did not come to the limelight before.

Many think he could not become minister despite winning the 2024 election from the Manikganj-3 (Saturia-parts of Sadar) because of the irregularities in a government project and the party feud.

Zahid Maleque then started facing opposition from leaders and activists in his various activities and party feuds also came to the fore. He supported his cousin Md Israfil Hossain, who contested for chairman post, in the Sadar upazila parishad election in May this year while most of the party leaders and activists sided with district Awami League organising secretary Sudeb Shaha. Zahid Maleque’s cousin conceded defeat in the election.

Despite no prior involvement with politics, Maleque’s cousin Israfil Hossain became religious affairs secretary of district Awami League in 2023. He became Sadar upazila Awami League president in 2015 and again in 2022.

Afsar Uddin Sarker became general secretary of upazila Awami League in 2015. He was elected chairman of Gorpara union parishad thrice in a row uncontested. Afsar became Sadar upazila Awami Leauge’s general secretary again in 2022.

Awami League sources said Maleque would recruit his relatives and followers to the top positions of the party and formed a ‘Maleque Party’ with them. In the last committee of district Awami League declared in June, Maleque’s son Rahat Maleque was made industry and commerce affairs secretary.

Rahat’s cousin Shamim Hossain was president of Sadar upazila’s Jagir union Awami League. Zahid Maleque allegedly served party posts to activists of other parties too.

Asked about the former minister, district Awami League’s vice president freedom fighter Gazi Kamrul Huda told Prothom Alo, “Many deviated from internal democratic practices in running the party.”

There are seven balu mohals (sand deposits) in five upazilas of Manikganj. Two big balu mohals are in Kaliganga river in Manikganj. After becoming the MP, Maleque took control of these through his close associates. Maleque’s cousin Shamim Hossain got lease of Chamta-Bilborial balu mohal for Tk 21.4 million for the current year.

District Swecchasebak League’s president Abu Bakar Siddique alias Tushar got the lease of Beutha-Pouli balu mohal at over Tk 26.6 million. As both went into hiding now, sand extraction and sales are closed for now.

Locals said agricultural land of many farmers faced river erosion as excavators extracted sands from many unauthorised places. The local residents hold human chain several times, as well as submitting written complaints to the administration. Yet illegal extraction of sand did not stop due to the involvement of Zahid Maleque.

Abu Sayeed, 55, a farmer of Jaynagar village, said, “The situation turned so bad due to illegal extraction that even our homesteads were at risk of river erosion. 14 bighas of agricultural land was devoured by the river due to extraction of sand by dredgers. Who will take responsibility for such loss?”

The Awami League leaders and leaders of different associations related to the transport sector used to collect around Tk 150 million as extortion every year from different public transport in Manikganj. Speaking to Prothom Alo, a local workers union leader from Sadar upazila said it was not possible to collect extortion of such a large amount without the backing of Zahid Maleque in Manikganj.

Speaking to the owners and workers of the public transport, it has been learnt that District Bus Owner Association president Zahidul Islam, who was known to be a very close associate of former health minister Zahid Maleque and AL’s municipal unit general secretary Zahidul Islam, would control extortion in the transport sector. On average, some Tk 500 was collected from each passenger bus every day. The total amount of extortion collected from buses every year was more than Tk 120 million.

Besides, around Tk 25 million was collected as toll from three-wheelers plying inside the districts, including CNG and auto-rickshaws.

This correspondent tried to contact Zahidul Islam over the phone for his comment. But he was out of reach.

However, speaking to Prothom Alo back in 2021, Zahidul denied the allegations of extortion saying he had rather restored discipline since assuming the office.

The leaders and activists of Sramik Dal took control of the Manikganj Bus Terminal following the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August.

In April 2022, the then government decided to set up a factory for the government drug manufacturing company Essential Drugs Company Limited in Manikganj.

Zahid Maleque and members of his family tried to misappropriate public funds by increasing land price in the proposed site of the project at Meghshimul mouza. Prothom Alo and different other media published news on this corruption.

Zahid Maleque’s daughter Cynthia Maleque bought 11.14 acres of land out of the 31.5-acre that is proposed as the land for constructing the project. She filled the purchased land to convert it into homestead category from wetlands category. After around seven months of this the project for the pharmaceutical factory was approved. Cynthia donated the land to her husband Akmal Hossain by showing its price twice of its purchase price just 20 days before the approval. The government would have to pay three times the last price if it has to acquire the land.

In the proposed site, Zahid Maleque bought 6.39 acres of land in the name of BD Sun Power Limited he owns. In the name of Rahat Real Estate, owned by Maleque's son, 3.12 acres of land was purchased. The land category was changed to increase the price (mouza rate) five times. Maleque issued a DO (Demi Official) letter to the law ministry to increase the mouza rate. Besides, the minister's cousin Shamim Mia bought 5.54 acres of land.

Amid this situation the then deputy commissioner sent a letter to the ministry that the government will have to spend over Tk 1 billion more in land acquisition if the project were to be implemented at the proposed site. Later, Maleque’s followers, led by Sadar upazila Awami League president, took to streets demanding removal of the DC.

Prothom Alo talked to three families of Meghshimul village. One person named Abul Kalam said his family had 76 decimals of land in front of his house. But the former health minister’s cousin Shamim Hossain and local Awami League leader Abdul Khaleque brought lands around the Abul Kalam’s family property and started filling in adjoining lands. As a result, Kalam’s family had to sell the land at a lower price. They were paid Tk 42,000 for each decimal land while the market price was Tk 100,000.
Abdur Razzaque of the same village said he and his brother had to sell their 90 decimal lands due to pressure from Maleque’s cousin. Officials of the sub registrar office came to their house to register the land.

The health ministry in July, 2023, sent a letter claiming that the news of buying land by Zahid Maleque and his son’s name is false, baseless and ill-motivated.

Phone numbers of Israfil Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Jahidul Islam and Afsar Sarker were found switched off.

Maleque’s son Rahat had a jointly-owned company named Carbon Holdings Limited. The company’s manager Helal Uddin confirmed that Rahat Maleque sold his ownership two years ago. Allegations are there Maleque used his influence to buy land for the company. Saturia Dhankora union parishad’s former chairman and upazila Awami League’s vice president Obaidul Haque told Prothom Alo that his family members had 1.5 acres land including around 70 decimal lands of his own on the south side of Dhaka-Aricha highway at Golra Charkhanda area. To found the company, Zahid Maleque forcibly took over the land in 2013. Later they were forced to sell the lands. Although Tk 155,000 was set for per decimal land, they were paid Tk 110,000.

Dhamshwar union parishad chairman and union Awami League president Md Idris Ali’s 13 decimal lands were also allegedly grabbed. Idris Ali said Zahid Maleque took over the land when he was a member of parliament in 2013. He alleged that the price of per decimal land was fixed at Tk 350,000 but he is yet to get the money.

The followers of Zahid Maleque went into hiding after the fall of Awami League government in a student-led mass uprising on 5 August. The leaders of the party said Zahid Maleque left the country along with his family members before the fall of Awami League government.

Zahid Maleque was called several times on 20 September for comments on these allegations. Messages were also sent to his Whatsapp number but no reply came.

Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN) Manikganj chapter Intaz Uddin told Prothom Alo, “Allegations of irregularities and corruption surfaced against former health minister Maleque. There are government agencies to take action regarding these allegations. The government should take necessary action against him if these allegations of irregularities and corruption are found true in the probe.”

Zahid Maleque’s wealth increased more than 11 times over the last 15 years. His immovable assets also increased at the same rate. This picture was found assessing his wealth statements submitted before 2008 and 2014 general elections.

As per the affidavit submitted during the 2024 general election, Zahid Maleque’s annual income was Tk 82.9 million. His annual income was Tk 7.1 million in 2008. His movable income rose to Tk 703.3 million in 2024, from Tk 67.8 million in 2008.

He also mentioned Tk 15 million liability over the last 15 years.

Locals think that Zahid Maleque’s movable and immovable incomes are more than that.