MP Anwarul Azim murdered over gold smuggling

Jhenaidah-4 constituency member of parliament Anwarul Azim, who was killed in Kolkata, indulged in smuggling at Jhenaidah border areas four decades ago.

Later he got involved in politics and became municipality councilor, upazila chairman and later member of parliament.

However, he couldn't leave the syndicate of smuggling. He was killed due to a feud over smuggling.

Investigation sources said those, who are involved in the murder of Anwarul Azim, are also members of the criminal world. The main planner of the murder was Anwarul Azim's childhood friend Akhtaruzzaman alias Shahin. He himself is the head of a smuggling syndicate. Professional criminal Shimul Bhuiyan, who was once a leader of an extremist organisation, executed the murder plan.

While investigating the murder, it was found Anwarul Azim had connection with the criminal world much earlier. In the mid eighties, he was involved in smuggling at the Mahespur border areas of his district Jhenaidah.

It is learnt that Anwarul Azim was involved in a transnational racket through a big gold smuggler, a resident of Jhenaidah in the  beginning of nineties. He gradually became one of the masterminds of gold smuggling in Jhenaidah border areas.

There were many cases on charges of smuggling and murders relating to smuggling till becoming a member of parliament. However, he was acquitted of a number of cases on political considerations after Awami League came to power in 2009. He was also acquitted of the remaining cases.

Although no fresh cases were filed against Anwarul after he became a member of parliament, he became the mastermind of gold smuggling in the region, according to reports of government agencies and Prothom Alo investigation. Local politicians to the administration knew the matter.

No one had courage to talk about this after he became a member of parliament.

Preferring not to be named, Jhenaidah Awami League senior leader, speaking to Prothom Alo, said, "Anar (Anwarul Azim) was involved in the underworld for four decades. He tried to build image over his criminal activities after joining politics and becoming member of parliament. But his dark world ended in darkness."

The reason behind the comment of this senior leader is that Anwarul Azim went missing on 12 May after going to India. Later it was known that Anwarul Azim was hacked to death on 13 May and pieces of body were concealed due to a feud over the gold smuggling. His body has not been found yet.

Quoting the investigators, Kolkata-based newspaper Ananda Patrika on 8 June reported that Anwarul Azim was involved in gold smuggling in the border areas. Moreover, he was a chief of a syndicate of currency smuggling. Akhtaruzzaman, who is a suspect in the murder of Anwarul Azim, was also involved in gold smuggling.

There are borders of 32 districts with India, Jhenaidah is one of them. There are North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts in West Bengal of India on the other side of Mahespur in Jhenaidah.

Kaliganj and Kotchandpur upazilas need too be crossed to go to Mahespur from Jhenaidah. The distance from Jhenaidah sadar to Mahespur is 38 kilometers. Mahespur upazila is adjacent to Jibonnagar, a border upazila of Chuadanga.

Local police, BGB and other sources said there is a 57 kilometers border of Maheshpur with India. Of this, 11 kilometers are without barbed wire. Smuggling has been happening through this border area for a long. Kaliganj, Kotchandpur and Jibonnagar are used as routes. Kaliganj upazila is one of the routes for smugglers.

Government agencies sources said huge cattle and narcotics smuggling began in this route in the eighties. At the time Anwarul Azim was involved in smuggling. At one stage, he became influential in border centric trade. Later, he joined BNP politics in 1989. He was elected councilor in the municipality elections in 1993. He joined Awami League in 1995.

Rising

This correspondent talked to 10 leaders of Awami League upazila and Jhenaidah district units about the matter,.

They said Anwarul Azim was known as a cadre of Jhenaidah-4 constituency former member of parliament Abdul Mannan. Earlier, Mannan was involved in BNP politics. He along with Mannan joined Awami League in 1995. Anwarul fled to India after BNP came to power in 2001. At the time a number of cases were filed against him. However, he had no post in Awami League till 2004.

Law enforcing agencies and local Awami League sources said Anwarul's influence started to increase after Awami League came to power in 1996. By that time, he was involved in a gold smuggling syndicate. Paritosh Chakrabarti from Jhenaidah sadar was the chief of the syndicate. Paritosh is believed to be the master of Anwarul in gold smuggling.

About Anwarul's involvement in gold smuggling, this correspondent talked to his daughter Mumtarin Ferdous at Awami League office at Nischintapur of Kaliganj on Friday afternoon. She said the news that is being published about her father is not authentic. Her father was not involved in any criminal activities. The cases that were filed against her father were a part of a conspiracy.

Poritash, known as a gold trader in Jhenaidah town died in 2013. It is known that he had a connection with Anwarul till his death. Information of 21 cases against Anwarul Azim has been found, in two cases, the name of Anwarul along with Poritash has appeared in the charge sheet.

During the caretaker government in May of 2007, a person named Tariqul Saiful was shot dead at Shyampur of Damurhuda police station in Chuadanga over a consignment of gold smuggling. In the investigation of the case, it was found that Anwarul Azim and Poritash are involved in the planning of murder. At the time, Poritash Chakrabarti gave a confessional statement incourt in connection with the murder. It is learnt he (Poritash) mentioned the name of Anwarul Azim in the confessional statement.

Border force BDR (current name Border Guard Bangladesh-BGB) seized a truck with 12 kg gold near Darshana border in Damurhuda police station in December in the same year. In the investigation of the case, the name of Anwarul along with Poritash was found. Afterwards, Anwarul fled to India again.   

After finding evidence of Anwarul Azim's involvement in these two cases, Interpol issued a red notice on 7 August 2008. Anwarul returned home after Awami League came to power in 2009. The red notice was withdrawn.

Name of Anwarul was withdrawn in these two cases on political consideration from the home ministry in 2012. Even names of four associates including Poritash Chakrabarti were also withdrawn.

Among other cases against Anwarul, three cases filed under the special power act are related to smuggling. He was acquitted of one of these three cases for a recommendation by the home ministry on political consideration. The police have submitted a final report by acquitting him in two other cases.    

There were 10 cases under the Explosives Act against him. Later he was acquitted of all the cases. Six cases were filed on charges of carrying out attacks including hampering government duties. Of these cases, police have submitted the final report in a case. He was acquitted of the remaining cases.

Anwarul tried his best to get a post in Kaliganj upazila Awami League committee while he was a fugitive during the BNP government.

During the caretaker government in 2007, he returned home. He fled to India again in that year as he was accused in gold smuggling and murder cases. He returned home after Awami League came to power in 2009 and he got a nomination from Awami League and was elected chairman of Kaliganj upazila parishad.

Preferring not to be named, two district Awami League leaders said the local Awami League had an objection over the  nomination of chairman post in upazila election. Anwarul was given nomination for the chairman post on the recommendation of two influential members of parliament in the south-western regions and Awami League leaders. Later, in accordance with the recommendation of those two leaders, Anwarul Azim was nominated by Awami League and he was elected in the voterless election in 2014. Afterwards, he was elected member of parliament after getting the party ticket.

District Awami League leaders said the party's local leaders know that Anwarul Azim is involved in smuggling. The matter has been reported by the different government agencies. But nobody talked about this as he had blessings from two influential leaders of the south-western regions.

When asked about the matter, Jhenaidah district Awami League general secretary Saidul Karim said, "I know that Anwarul Azim would run a business. I don't know the details about him. So I am unable to say anything."

District Awami League president Shafiqul Islam said, "We did not know Anwarul before Awami League came to power in 2009. He was a fugitive in India. He became the upazila chairman after the party came to power and later he was elected member of parliament. The party considered him positively and nominated him."

A source familiar with the activities in the border and the law enforcing agencies, said a gold smuggling related feud is behind the killing of Anwarul Azim. Anwarul Azim, Akhtaruzzaman alias Shahin and Awami League leader in Jashore area (former MP) have been controlling gold smuggling along the Jhenaidah border for a long time. Anwarul and Akhtaruzzaman were close friends. At a time they engaged in a syndicate. They were trading gold separately for a couple of years. But problems arose after consignments of gold were seized one after another. A number of consignments of Akhtaruzzaman in the border areas and that leader in the Jashore area were seized. A misunderstanding was created among the gold smuggling syndicates over this. A group suspects that Anwarul Azim is behind the seizure of their consignments.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, an officer working to tackle the criminal activities in the Jhenaidah region said consignments of Akhtaruzzaman were being seized in increased numbers. His people became angry at this and they helped in seizing a consignment of four kg of gold in Maheshpur area on 17 January. The consignment belonged to Anwarul Azim. Due to this, Anwarul Azim's associate Tariqul Islam gunned down two people at Baghadanga village in Maheshpur on the day. Afterwards, Tariqul fled to India. Akhtaruzzaman became angrier with Anwarul.    

Rafiqul Islam, who is a plaintiff in this double murder, said, Shamim Islam is his brother and Mantu Mandal is uncle. The main accused in the case, Tariqul Islam is a smuggler. As a consignment of Tariqul was seized, he suspected his brother Shamim. Two were gunned down due to this.

About Tariqul, Rafiqul said, "So far I know he is a follower of Anar (Anwarul Azim)."

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Jhenaidah police super Azim-Ul Ahsan said these matters would be cleared if Tariqul was interrogated. An attempt is underway to bring back Tariqul through the National Central Bureau (NCB).

However, he declined to make any comment over the murder of Anwarul.

A police source said after two days of this double murder, Anwarul Azim went to India through Darshana border in Chuadanga on 19 January. Later he went to India on 16 March. He went to India on 12 May. After one day he was murdered. Police in Bangladesh and India said Akhtaruzzaman is the main planner of this murder.

BGB said the gold that is smuggled to India, lion share of it is smuggled through the border of western region. Mahespur of Jhenaidah is an important route. BGB seized a number of consignments while smuggling through this route in the current year.

BGM seized 38 kgs of gold worth Tk 260 million in the Maheshpur border area in 2023. A total of 27 kgs of gold were seized in three months of the current year.

Of these, four kgs and 633 grams of gold were seized in the Polianpur border area in Maheshpur on 16 April and earlier, BGB seized three kgs of gold from Nagarbhavi area on 8 April.

BGB Maheshpur Battalion (58) commandant Lieutenant Colonel Masud Parvez, speaking to Prothom Alo, said most of the border area of Maheshpur with India is fenced with barbed wire. If the smuggling takes place, that may happen secretly. BGB is trying its level best to stop smuggling in this border area.

*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print and online editions, has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam