Quader Mirza would control everything, held admin hostage

“If fair a election is held, except for three or four constituencies, our MPs in the rest of the seats will not even find an exit to run away. This is the truth. I’m just saying it boldly.”

Noakhali Awami League leader Abdul Quader Mirza hogged the media headlines by making this speech publicly around four years ago. His such speech was dubbed ‘truth the telling’ in the media.

Abdul Quader Mirza is the younger brother of Awami League general secretary and former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader.

The former mayor of Basurhat pourashava Companiganj upazila of Noakhali district, is also the president upazila Awami League.

As his elder brother Obaidul Quader was an influential minister of the government, the people of Companiganj were virtually held hostage by Quader Mirza. He was elected as the mayor of Basurhat pourashava for the third consecutive time in the elections held on 16 January, 2021. Since then, he became more reckless.

Quader Mirza became a fearsome figure for his opponents from his own party and opposition parties alike. The leaders and activists of both BNP and Awami League have been subjected to torture and oppression by Quader Mirza’s men.

Even businessmen, labourers, working people and the helpless who came to seek help were also oppressed. Belittling and insulting  police and administration officials became a habit for Quader Mirza. He formed ‘helmet bahini’  and ‘hammer bahini’ of his own.

There are allegations of extortion from government contracts, recruitment-business, usurpation of factory in name of park, vandalism in supermarket defying court injunction, shutting a market and collecting tolls from businessmen against Quader Mirza.

Quader Mirza, who taunted party MPs that they won’t be able to flee years ago, has fled himself after Awami League was deposed on 5 August. Like his elder brother, Quader Mirza too is traceless. As he has fled, Quader Mirza could not be contacted for a comment on the allegations.

The contractors had to pay a certain cut to Quader Mirza for any development project in Companiganj upazila and Basurhat pourashava. Also, contractors close to Quader Mirza would get most of the works.  
In the last 15 years, development works worth Tk 5.73 billion were carried out in Companiganj upazila and Basurhat pourashava.

Of the amount, development projects worth Tk 970 million were taken in Basurhat pourashava and the rest of works were done by Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) through upazila parishad.

Quader Mirza received a 5 to 10 per cent cut from all development projects. According to this estimation, he received commission worth Tk 300 to 350 million.

Most of these projects were implemented by contractors close to Quader Mirza. Abdul Jalil is one of the contractors outside Quader Mirza’s good books who got a contract. He fell under the wrath of Quader Mirza as a consequence.

His company Jalil Traders got a contract of Tk 4 million to repair a road in Companiganj. Upon receiving the news, Quader Mirza summoned him and verbally abused him before demanding a five per cent commission.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Abdul Jalil said one of the aides of Quader Mirza took him to the municipality office. Quader Mirza asked for a five per cent commission there. He was forced to pay the former municipality Tk 200,000 as a commission.

The construction of the retaining wall surrounding the pond adjacent to Razapur School bi-lane and the plastering construction project on the same road was implemented under the Basurhat municipality in the 2014-15 fiscal.

Visiting the area, it was seen that most of the retaining wall had collapsed into the pond. As a result, cracks appeared on the road. Already some portions of the road have collapsed. Low quality materials were used in these projects. However, none of the locals dared to protest.

Despite implementation, the drain from Putia canal to the western side of the Chowdhurir Hat-Basurhat road constructed at a cost of Tk 845,000 and the drain constructed surrounding the Basurhat market are not coming to any work.

Numerous business establishments and traders in the Basurhat market were subjected to attack by the men of Quader Mirza. Notable among these are Sattar Brothers (Sattar Bakery), Fakhrul Cloth Store, Humayun Timber, Feroze & Brothers, Fancy Hotel, Ajmer Hotel, Ghazi & Sons, Chayed Mansion (6 Storey Commercial & Residential Building), Mawla Shopping Centre, Modern Hospital, Diabetic Hospital, Helal Hardware, Saleem Store and Mehraj Plaza.

These business establishments were closed down several times. Quader Mirza allowed the owners to reopen these business establishments only after taking "toll" money from them.

On 20 September 2021, Quader Mirza called upon Ashiq-e-Rasul, owner of the Amin Market in Basurhat, with all documents at his office. There the municipality secretary demanded Tk 1 million from him on behalf of Quader Mirza. As he denied paying the money, the then municipality mayor shut down the market by force. The market was reopened after Quader Mirza was paid the money. The situation was such that there was even no scope to go to somebody for a solution.

Apart from these, Quader Mirza forcefully occupied two buildings owned by UK-expatriate Abu Sayed in the Rupali Chattar area of the municipality. One of the buildings was four-storey and the other was a six-storey building. Quader Mirza got the four-storey building registered in his wife’s name. These buildings have commercial shops in the lower parts and residential apartments in the upper parts. Quader Mirza used to collect rent from these apartments and shops in the name of municipality. Abu Sayed regained the ownership of these buildings after 5 August.

Basurhat Traders Association president Abdul Matin alias Liton told Prothom Alo, “Quader Mirza used to collect extortions from the traders on various pretexts.  The traders of one of the major trade centre of the district almost lost everything amid his continuous torture.”

* More to follow ...