Other than opposition men, dissenters of his own party were forced to flee their homes in face of attacks and lawsuits and he would control everything from nomination of local government election candidates to party posts.
He had the absolute control over everything and his relatives were indomitable in grabbing government and private lands.
The man is former Awami League lawmaker and parliament’s whip ASM Firoz.
Firoz has been the president of upazila Awami League for over 45 years at a stretch. The former MP allegedly formed a group of 70-80 people who were notorious for their torture. From teachers and freedom fighters to government officials, none were spared from this gang.
In a civic reception, Firoz publicly announced ‘I don’t need crests, I need cash’.
ASM Firoz was elected member of parliament (MP) nominated by Awami League for the first time in 1979. Since then, he was MP in every parliament sans 2001. Firoz became chief whip of tenth parliament in 2014.
He went into hiding after the fall of Awami League government on 5 August and got arrested from capital’s Banani on 23 August.
Firoz’s eldest son Raihan Sakib, member of Awami League’s international affairs sub-committee, did not want to speak about the allegations against his father.
Firoz’s younger brother AKM Farid Mollah termed the allegations as 'conspiracy and baseless'.
He claimed Firoz or any other members of the family is not involved with any corruption. Firoz did not have any gang, rather he is a politician with clean image.
His becoming MP for eight times bears testimony of people’s love for him, added Farid Mollah.
Firoz’s favourites became public representatives
ASM Firoz would control Awami League politics in Bauphal for 45 long years at a stretch. Not only politics, he was the sole controller of managing committees of 67 madrasahs, 339 primary schools, 61 secondary schools, 14 colleges and other institutions. He would also control recruitments of these institutions.
Since 2008, none could become public representative in Bauphal upazila without maintaining link with Firoz. His cadres would force people to vote for Firoz’s men. Firoz’s support became the biggest factor to win any local government posts. Sometimes even party nomination would not work. Firoz even made a person union parishad chairman thrice who could not even become member.
It has been learnt that of 15 unions and 1 pourashava in Bauphal, all the UP chairmen except Bauphal pourashava and 4 unions are followers of Firoz.
District Awami League joint general secretary Md Ziaul Haque (Jewel) became the mayor of Baufal pourashava in 2012 going against Firoz. For this, Firoz filed one case after another against him and his followers that led them to flee the area. Later, in 2022, Ziaul became the mayor again.
Former general secretary of upazila Awami League Jasim Uddin Farazi said that Firoz made people from other parties leaders instead of party veterans who had sacrificed for the party.
Current general secretary of upazila Awami League Abdul Motaleb told Prothom Alo that he (Firoz) strategically seized the post of president after entering politics in 1979. Since then, he has retained the post. Firoz did not have good camaraderie with general secretaries of any committee.
Attacks- lawsuits for dissenters
Awami League sources said Firoz’s gang swooped on the then upazila parishad chairman Md Mujibur Rahman, Daspara union chairman Jahangir Hossain and Nowmala union chairman Shahjada Hawlader at the presence of DC and police superintendent on 8 March 2016.
After a year, upazila Awami League’s secretary Abdul Motaleb Hawlader was hacked to break his fingers and right leg. District Jubo League’s organising secretary and Boga union parishad chairman Mahamud Hasan was beaten up in front of Firoz.
Mujibur Rahman told Prothom Alo that Firoz would always prioritise his own interest. He would always focus on looting public money without doing any work. Firoz’s gang attacked two UP chairmen including him for expressing dissent.
Upazila Awami League’s former organising secretary SM Yousuf said as upazila Chhatra League protested Firoz’s willfulness, he formed a rebel committee.
Not only that, he arraigned over 200 Awami League men including the president, secretary of the authorized committee of BCL in 25 cases. Many of them had to flee the area.
Land grabbing
Firoz’s relatives allegedly grabbed land of a canal at Merchant Potti area under Chandradwip union in Bauphal, constructed 15 shops and a two-storied building. Firoz’s brother Farid Mollah constructed pucca building on 28 decimal lands at Daspara mouza and ran a business there.
A local named Mokbul Ahammad alleged Farid Mollah grabbed a piece of his land 14 years ago that he possessed through a court order in 2004.
However, Farid denied the allegation and said he bought 21 decimals of land from another person and ran a business at the plot.
Firoz’s cousin Md Shamim Mollah, former president of upazila Swecchasebak League, allegedly grabbed a government land to build a three-storied super market at Kalaiya Bazar. Firoz constructed Awami League office at Garur Haat area on government land. BNP leaders and activists took possession of the office after 5 August.
Firoz established a secondary school at Chandra Dip union in 1995 and a primary school in 2017 under his own name.
Under the law, one has to donate 1.5 acres of land for secondary school and 33 decimals of land for primary school for founding under own name. But Firoz did not have any land in these areas. Allegations are there that Firoz grabbed around two acres of land from three brothers to establish the schools.
Jafar Khan, son of land-donor Sekandar Ali, told Prothom Alo that his father and uncles donated lands for two educational institutions, union parishad and community clinic. Yet no institutions were named after them. Firoz tricked them to give the lands and found the institutions in his own name.
Two nephews made millionaires
Firoz’s nephews Monir Mollah and Alkas Mollah were sentenced to life in prison in a murder case. They came out of prison after receiving bail from the High Court. The case is still under trial. Later ASM Firoz made Alkas chairman of Chandradip union changing his name to Enamul Haque and Monir the chairman of Kalaiya union changing name to Faisal Ahammed. Monir has been holding the post of general secretary of upazila Jubo League and Alkas, the organising secretary of upazila Swecchasebak League for a long time.
Locals, land office and relatives said Monir and Alkas did not have any property before being public representatives. Using the influence of Firoz, they did DCR mutation of government land worth millions at Kalaiya port in their own names and that of their wives. They constructed shops on the land and rented out. Recently applications have been made to cancel the DCR.
Monir has a two-storied building at Kalaiya port allegedly constructed for over Tk 20 million. He owns a car. Monir’s relatives say he bought a flat in Dhaka’s Gendaria and land in his wife’s name. Meanwhile, Alkas owns over 150 buffalos which he shifted to a safer place after 5 August. He bought six decimals of land at Kalaiya port cinema hall road for Tk 4.5 million six months ago and constructed a two-storied building on the foundation of five stories in a nearby land. He also bought one and half acres of land at Kheyaghat area and eight decimals at Boubazar area and constructed a supermarket named Chairman Market in the latter.
Local sources said Alkas grabbed 300 acres of khas land and has been leasing the land to watermelon farmers for eight years. They alleged that even the owners of private lands of that union had to take permission from Alkas to lease out their own lands. He is also accused of grabbing seven acres of land at Char Raisaheb area to establish fish enclosures.
Monir has been on the run since 5 August and he could not be reached over phone. Alkas denied all the allegations saying he did everything legally.
Increase of wealth, decrease of loans
According to affidavits shown by ASM Firoz for ninth and twelfth parliamentary elections, his income rose dramatically while loans decreased. His movable income rose over 30 times while overall properties increased over nine times. Firoz had nothing except for the jewellery of his wife and electronic appliances. The wife, a housewife, now owns millions, houses and cars.
In 2008, Firoz had an annual income of over Tk 2.7 million which rose to over Tk 16 million in 15 years. He had a loan of over Tk 150.3 million fifteen years ago which has now slashed to nearly Tk 20 million.
In 2008, his movable wealth was worth over Tk 2.8 million which has now increased to over Tk 84.9 million.
Firoz had immovable wealth worth over Tk 7.7 million in 2008 which increased to over Tk 12.7 million in 15 years. He no longer had movable assets jointly owned 15 years ago. In 2008, Firoz had jewelry worth Tk 50,000 from his wife, home appliances worth Tk 60,000 and 70 decimals of non-agricultural land. Now he owns movable wealth of over Tk 15.9 million. He also showed a flat in Dhaka worth Tk 2 million.