Feni: Nizam Hazari’s legacy now seen in BNP camp

In Feni town’s Masterpara area, in front of the Lomi Hazari house, there is a small pond. It has a stone-built ghat with a canopy. A few locals were bathing there. Nearby, one man was selling jhalmuri (spicy puffed rice), while another was selling guava and pomelo slices. Such a scene would have been unimaginable before 5 August 2024.

The pond ghat in question was once the ‘ghatla’ (legacy) of Nizam Uddin Hazari, former Member of Parliament for Feni-2. From this very spot, he used to oversee the distribution of government contracts, manage extortion money across different sectors, resolve internal party and local disputes, and conduct various operations. People from different parts of the district, from all walks of life, were summoned to this ghatla. Locally, this informal system of control was referred to as "ghatla rule."

Next to the pond stands a seven-storey building owned by Nizam Hazari. He used part of it as his office. Once known as the “godfather” of the district, Hazari was a prominent leader of the district Awami League.

On 5 August 2024, following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, Nizam Hazari fled, like many others. That same day, an enraged crowd torched this house, along with two other nearby properties belonging to him.

During the Awami League’s uninterrupted 15-year rule, Nizam Hazari effectively held absolute control over Feni. From the pondside 'ghatla' in Masterpara, he managed various streams of illicit income, including control over bus, truck, and tempo stands, tenders in multiple government departments, sand mining rights, cross-border smuggling, and legal case manipulation.

Burnt-out vehicles still remain in the garage. A short distance from these houses stands another property of Nizam Hazari — a three-storey mansion built on a walled plot of approximately 4.5 acres. Due to its architectural design, luxurious furnishings, private lake, and garden, the house is well-known among the people of Feni.

The house that was destroyed during the public outrage on 5 August last year now stands abandoned. Yet, this very house was once frequented by powerful figures, including Obaidul Quader, General Secretary of the Awami League and former minister.

During the Awami League’s uninterrupted 15-year rule, Nizam Hazari effectively held absolute control over Feni. From the pondside 'ghatla' in Masterpara, he managed various streams of illicit income, including control over bus, truck, and tempo stands, tenders in multiple government departments, sand mining rights, cross-border smuggling, and legal case manipulation.

According to local political sources, Nizam Hazari fled with his followers. His former seat of power—the ghatla—now metaphorically resides in the homes of BNP leaders. However, no single individual or faction within BNP holds full control. The party is split into several groups, with four main district-level factions currently active. Smaller sub-groups have formed under their influence, and new groups are emerging at the upazila (sub-district) level. Members of the district or central BNP committees reportedly patronise these groups as 'elders' or protectors.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Main Uddin Ahmed Kamran, former president of the Feni District Anti-Corruption Committee, said: "Although the government changed following the student–people's mass uprising on 5 August, people are still not free from extortion, land-grabbing, and harassment. Previously, Awami League leaders were involved in these activities—now it's the leaders of BNP and its affiliated organisations."

At the top of Feni district BNP, the two key positions are held by convener Sheikh Farid Bahar and member secretary Alal Uddin. However, they exert little to no effective control over party leaders, activists, or cadres. They are known for playing it safe and trying to maintain neutrality with all factions.

Currently, three active factions operate under the leadership of three joint conveners of the district BNP: One of the most organisationally influential groups is led by Gazi Habibullah Manik, a joint convener of the district BNP.

Another prominent group is headed by Anwar Hossain Patwari. A smaller group is run by another joint convener, Eyakoob Nabi. A fourth group is led by Moshiur Rahman (Biplob), a member of the BNP central executive committee.

Two of his key followers are: Mezbah Uddin Bhuiyan, member secretary of Feni Municipal BNP, and Aman Uddin Kaisar (Sabbir), member secretary of the Sadar Upazila BNP.

There are also two sub-groups: One led by Nasir Uddin Khandaker, convener of the District Jubo Dal (BNP's youth wing). The other by Salahuddin Mamun, president of the District Chhatra Dal (student wing)

Upazila-level groups. Apart from these, each upazila (sub-district) has its own local faction. For example: In Parshuram, illegal border trade used to be controlled by Nizam Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury (Sajel), general secretary of the Upazila Awami League. Now, that same network is reportedly under the control of Abdul Alim Maksud, a BNP leader and follower of Abu Taleb, a member of the BNP central executive committee.

In Daganbhuiyan, various operations are reportedly controlled by Kazi Jamshedur Rahman Fotik, a former Chhatra Dal leader who has been expelled.

In Sonagazi, local control is said to be in the hands of Khorshed Alam Bhuiyan, convener of the Upazila Jubo Dal.

The largest bus terminal in Feni is located at Mohipal, situated along the Dhaka–Chattogram highway. It is operated under a lease issued by the Feni Municipal Authority. The most recent leaseholder was Shahabuddin, general secretary of the Awami League’s Ward 4 unit in the municipality. However, the actual control over extortion from buses was exercised by former municipal mayor Nazrul Islam alias Swapon Miyazi, who is currently on the run.

At present, the lease of this bus terminal has been taken over by Eyakoob Nabi, joint convener of the Feni district BNP. As a result, control over transportation-related extortion in and around the Mohipal terminal now lies in his hands.

On both sides of the highway at Mohipal, there are bus counters for vehicles heading to Dhaka, Chattogram, and other destinations. In addition, temporary roadside counters have been set up for buses traveling to Comilla, various upazilas of Feni, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, and parts of Chattogram.

Each day, between 1,500 to 2,000 buses stop at this terminal. Only a few sleeper and air-conditioned buses bypass the terminal via the flyover; all other buses stop at Mohipal. Each bus is charged Tk 50 as part of the official lease. Additionally, Tk 300 to 400 is collected from each bus as extortion ('chanda'). Khorshed Alam, joint convener of Feni Municipal BNP, is Eyakoob Nabi’s primary associate in managing these collections.

According to sources within the transport owners and workers’ community, 15 to 20 leaders of the Feni BNP who hold official party positions receive a share of the extortion collected from this terminal.

Additionally, Gazi Habibullah Manik, another joint convener of the district BNP, lives next to the Mohipal Bus Terminal and is also said to wield influence over the terminal’s operations.

During a recent visit to Mohipal Bus Terminal, this reporter spoke with several transport workers. On condition of anonymity, one worker operating on the Feni–Baraiyarhat route said: “Each bus has to pay Tk 400 per day as toll (extortion). Buses on the Dhaka and Chattogram routes have to pay even more.”

In response, Eyakoob Nabi told Prothom Alo that he only collects Tk 50 per bus as part of the official lease fee. He added that Tk 10 is collected from each auto-rickshaw. He claimed that any additional extortion may be the doing of the Transport Owners’ Association, and he is not involved in that.

According to sources, the Madina Bus Stand (also known as Comilla Bus Stand) has been leased by Zakir Hossain, a former leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami’s labour federation. He was expelled after being accused of collecting money under the pretext of facilitating the reappointment of the former principal of Feni Alia Madrasa.

Around this bus stand, the nearby auto-rickshaw stands, and the tempo stand in front of the Post Office Road and Shishu Niketan, are controlled by Saidur Rahman, President of the District Swechchhasebak Dal (BNP’s volunteer wing).

The lease for the Daudpur Bus Stand is held by Saidur Rahman (Rubel), brother of Fazlur Rahman, convener of the Sadar Upazila BNP.

Meanwhile, the bus stand at Feni Sadar Hospital intersection has been leased by Tapon Kar, joint convener of the Sadar Upazila BNP.

The truck and pickup stand at Feni town’s Boro Bazar is controlled by Mamun, a leader of the Chhatra Dal (BNP’s student wing).

Interviews with several contractors working with Feni Municipality, the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), the Public Works Department (PWD), and the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) reveal that during the tenure of the previous Awami League government, it was Nizam Hazari who determined which contractor would be awarded development projects under these government offices in Feni district.

Before a contractor could even secure a project, they were required to pay Nizam Hazari 10 per cent of the total project allocation. For tenders that were processed before 5 August 2024, Nizam had already collected advance payments from contractors. After the fall of the Awami League government and Nizam Hazari’s subsequent escape, many of these contractors found themselves in serious trouble.

According to sources, around the time of the government’s fall, projects worth approximately Tk 10 billion taka (Tk 1,000 crore) were underway in Feni under various departments. To continue work on these projects, contractors had to negotiate with local BNP leaders. However, since the BNP is fragmented into several factions, some initial conflicts arose over control and permissions.

On the night of 5 December, an excavator worth Tk 6 million (Tk 60 lakh) belonging to a contractor was set on fire by miscreants in Fazilpur, Feni. Following the incident, Imrul Habib Chowdhury, an official of contractor Amjad Hossain’s firm, filed a case at Feni Model Police Station on 7 December.

The complaint stated that during the execution of a Tk 230 million (23 crore taka) road repair project on the Battoli–Arabi Hat road, extortion money was demanded from the contractor.

In the case, the following individuals were named as accused: Sajibul Islam Patwari, joint general secretary of the District Jubo Dal (BNP's youth wing), Mir Mohammad Ali Sobuj, joint convener of the Sadar Upazila Jubo Dal, Kamrul Islam Bhuiyan, member of the Upazila Jubo Dal, Imam Siddiqui, joint convener of the Feni Sadar Upazila Chhatra Dal (BNP's student wing). Later, Kamrul Islam was arrested by the police.

Toward the end of last year, road repair work was halted in several areas, including Fazilpur. In Dholia Union of Sadar Upazila alone, there were three development projects underway.

One such project, located next to Dholia School, involved the construction of a road protection wall, land filling, and road expansion, with a budget of Tk 25 million (Tk 2.5 crore). The project was awarded to Messrs. Swadhin Corporation, owned by Nurul Huda Mister, a leader of the Jubo League (the Awami League’s youth wing). The work was being carried out by Shawkat Hossain on behalf of the company.

In November of last year, soon after the project began, a 60-meter-long protective wall was demolished under the cover of night. Eventually, the work was completed after a settlement was reached with Zakir Hossain (Jasim), the recently outgoing president of the Jubo Dal (BNP’s youth wing).

According to sources, during the Awami League administration, tenders for development work in departments such as the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), Public Works Department (PWD), LGED, Water Development Board, and Feni Municipality were controlled on behalf of Nizam Hazari by four to five individuals.

Among the most influential were: Nazrul Islam Swapon Miyazi, former mayor of Feni Municipality, Shushen Chandra Shil, former chairman of Sadar Upazila, Lutfor Rahman (Khokon Hazari), Organizational Secretary of the District Jubo League, Mojibul Haque, President of Fazilpur Union Awami League in Feni Sadar, Didarul Kabir, District Jubo League President and former chairman of Daganbhuiyan Upazila and Mezbaul Haider Chowdhury (Sohel), General Secretary of the Chhagalnaiya Upazila Awami League.

Local contractors and multiple sources linked to the BNP claim that in order to resume and complete the previously stalled development projects, commissions now have to be paid to leaders of the BNP and its affiliated organisations. Among those reportedly involved in demanding commissions are: Anwar Patwari (BNP), Eyakoob Nabi (BNP), Aman Uddin Kaisar (BNP) and Salahuddin Mamun (Chhatra Dal).

There are eight sand quarries (balumohal) in Feni district. Of these, five were officially leased by leaders of the Awami League, while the remaining three were being exploited without leases—also by Awami League leaders.

After the fall of the Awami League, the district administration cancelled those leases and launched operations to crack down on illegal sand extraction. However, sand mining has not completely stopped—especially at night, illegal extraction continues, now reportedly under the control of local BNP leaders.

Recently, during a visit to Saheber Ghat, located along the Little Feni River in Sonagazi, a sand dredger was seen parked by the riverbank. Nearby, large piles of sand were stacked on private land. Workers there said each truckload of sand is sold for Tk 2,500. This site is reportedly controlled by Khurshid Alam Bhuiyan, Convener of the Sonagazi Upazila Jubo Dal (BNP’s youth wing).

The two sand quarries in Sonagazi were originally leased by Mujibul Haque alias Ripon (Chairman Ripon), president of Fazilpur Union Awami League, known to be a close friend of Nizam Hazari. Now, those quarries are under the control of Jubo Dal leader Khurshid.

In Feni Sadar Upazila, even though the sand sites were not officially leased, Chairman Ripon controlled them during the Awami League era. At present, those sand quarries are being jointly managed by local leaders of the BNP, Jubo Dal, and Chhatra Dal (student wing).

In Chhagalnaiya and Phulgazi upazilas, two sand quarries were leased by Rafiqul Haider Chowdhury, brother of former upazila chairman Mezbaul Haider Chowdhury. Another sand lease in Parshuram upazila was held by Mir Ahmed Chowdhury, former office secretary of the Upazila Awami League.

After the 2024 elections, control of these sand sites shifted to Jalal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury (Pappu), brother of Alauddin Ahmed Chowdhury Nasim, but they have since been taken over by local BNP leaders.

Feni Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam told Prothom Alo, “Previously, there was a kind of lawlessness surrounding sand mining. We've been able to bring that under control. If we receive reports of illegal sand extraction, we take immediate action.”

However, a senior BNP district leader, speaking to Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, said: “The administration is active against illegal sand mining—during the day. But at night, sand is being extracted without restriction.”

During the rise of Nizam Hazari, his political patron was Alauddin Ahmed Chowdhury Nasim. After establishing absolute control over politics and the criminal underworld across Feni district, Nizam later came under the wing of Obaidul Quader, the General Secretary of the Awami League, as his chief mentor or 'murubbi' (elder patron).

Now, as Feni’s BNP leadership is divided into multiple factions, each group also has its own ‘murubbi’ or influential patron. Among them, the most powerful figure is Rafiqul Alam (Majnu), convener of the Dhaka Dakkhin BNP. His followers reportedly control key bus terminals, government tenders, and sand quarries.

Prominent BNP leaders such as Anwar Hossain Patwari, Eyakoob Nabi, Jubo Dal’s Nasir Uddin, and Chhatra Dal’s Salahuddin Mamun are known to maintain close ties with Rafiqul Alam, treating him as their political patron. Beyond these names, many others across Feni district and its upazilas maintain alliances with Rafiqul over shared interests.

A senior BNP leader from Feni, speaking to Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, said: “To complete the previously unfinished development projects, contractors have had to make deals with local BNP leaders. A significant portion of the commission from those deals had to be paid to the main patron—the ‘boro murubbi.’”

In the Feni-1 constituency (covering Parshuram, Phulgazi, Chhagalnaiya), BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia had traditionally contested elections. When she was imprisoned in 2018, the BNP nomination for the seat went to Rafiqul Alam. His supporters believe he may once again receive the party’s nomination in the upcoming election, if Khaleda Zia does not participate.

In an interview with Prothom Alo, Rafiqul Alam claimed he does not interfere in Feni-2 (Sadar) politics, but maintains cordial relationships with everyone.

When asked about allegations that his followers control development projects in government offices, Rafiqul responded: “I do some small work in Dhaka. I’m not involved in anything in Feni.”

Despite that, on 2 July, Rafiqul Alam was elected unopposed as Chairman of the Feni Central Cooperative Bank Limited’s management committee. Anwar Hossain Patwari was elected Vice Chairman. Historically, this chairman position was dominated by MPs from the Feni-2 constituency. The bank controls numerous houses, markets, and shops in Feni town.

Another faction within Feni BNP politics is led by Moshiur Rahman (Biplob), a member of the BNP Central Executive Committee. His followers are mostly concentrated in the Feni Municipality and Sadar Upazila BNP. He is a hopeful candidate for the BNP nomination in the Feni–2 parliamentary seat. Within the party, he acts as something of a “junior patron”, leading one faction. His key followers include: Delwar Hossain, Convener of the Municipal BNP, Mezbah Uddin Bhuiyan, Member Secretary of the Municipal BNP, Fazlur Rahman, Convener of the Sadar BNP, Aman Uddin Kaisar Sabbir, Member Secretary of the Sadar BNP

Among them, Mezbah Uddin has been accused of profiting from a legal case related to the student–people's mass uprising. However, in an interview with Prothom Alo, Moshiur Rahman denied knowledge of any such “case-related profiteering”, saying: “I don’t know whether such things are happening. If the BNP’s central leadership becomes aware of wrongdoing, they take action. If something like that were happening in Feni, it would have been addressed.”

Zainal Abedin, the former Member of Parliament for Feni-2, is better known as VP Zainal. A veteran politician, he currently serves as an advisor to the BNP Chairperson. These days, he largely remains quiet and low-profile. He attends party events only when invited; otherwise, he spends most of his time at home. His followers no longer hold much influence within the party, though he is still seeking the party's nomination for the upcoming election.

Moshiur Rahman (Biplob) maintains some level of communication with him.

District BNP convener Sheikh Farid Uddin and member secretary Alal Uddin also regard VP Zainal with respect, although they try to maintain balance among all sides.

In a recent conversation at his home in Feni, VP Zainal spoke to Prothom Alo about the current state of the party and allegations of land grabbing and profiteering from legal cases. The former MP said: “Those who committed injustice in the past—we’ve all seen how they ended up. If anyone in the BNP is now involved in wrongdoing, they will not be spared. The top leadership of the party is watching everything, and the consequences will come soon.”