‘Five, it has to be five, this is VP Nur’s instruction’: Jubo Odhikar president expelled after leaked call

A leaked audio recording of a conversation in which someone is heard saying, “Five, it has to be five—this is VP Nur’s instruction,” has sparked discussion in Lakshmipur’s political circles.

The audio is attributed to Faruk Hossain, president of the Lakshmipur district unit of the Jubo Odhikar Parishad. He has been expelled from the organisation following the circulation of the recording.

The decision was announced in a statement signed by Naim Hossain, the organisation’s central office secretary, on Monday night.

According to the statement, allegations had emerged that Faruk Hossain was involved in activities contrary to the organisation’s discipline and policies.

Acting on the instructions of central committee President Nadim Hasan and General Secretary Muntazul Islam, he was relieved of all organisational responsibilities, the statement said.

The audio recording, which began circulating on social media around noon on Monday, allegedly features Faruk Hossain asking a person planning to go abroad for money to cover the initial costs of passport processing, a visa, police clearance and a BMET card. According to a source in the organisation, he demanded Tk 500,000 for these services.

Meanwhile, Nurul Haque Nur, state minister for expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment and president of the Gono Odhikar Parishad, wrote in a post on his Facebook account, “There is no chance of getting away with exploiting my name for personal gain. The accused has already been expelled from the organisation, and the superintendent of police (SP) in Lakshmipur has also been asked to take legal action.”

Faruk Hossain denied the allegations, claiming that a local group had used artificial intelligence (AI) technology to edit his voice and create the audio recording. He said his remarks had been distorted in the recording.

Faruk Hossain further said, “I have heard about the expulsion. A younger local acquaintance named Shakib had asked me to arrange a passport for him. I asked for Tk 5,000 for that. But that reference to Tk 5,000 was distorted using AI technology and turned into Tk 500,000, and the audio was circulated.”

Asked about the matter, Jubo Odhikar Parishad central General Secretary Muntazul Islam told Prothom Alo at around 11:00 pm on Monday, “I have listened to the audio. After verifying it and finding preliminary evidence that it was genuine, we discussed the matter with the higher authorities and decided to expel him.”