Removed OC from his chair within 2 hrs, changed an Army major: MP Masud

A video of a speech by Shafiqul Islam (Masud), Member of Parliament (MP) for Patuakhali-2 (Bauphal) constituency, has gone viral. In the video, he says, “I removed the OC from his chair within two hours, and within two hours I changed the Army major from here. Some people say, ‘You became an MP through votes.’ I say, I did not become an MP only through votes; I became an MP through power as well. Don’t come to show (me) power. Five lakhs people will show their power.”

Shafiqul Islam, local MP and secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dhaka south city unit, was speaking as the chief guest at an Eid reunion programme in front of the Shurjamoni union parishad office in Bauphal upazila last Saturday afternoon.

Mojibur Rahman (Bachchu), ameer of the union unit Jamaat, chaired the event.

The MP’s remarks have sparked discussion and criticism after the video spread on Facebook.

Speaking about himself at the programme, Shafiqul Islam said, “Don’t fool around, brother. There is no need to show the people of Bauphal what Shafiqul Islam Masud is. Go and ask Sheikh Hasina. Ask Sheikh Hasina and find out what Shafiqul Islam Masud is. Find out at Rajshahi University what Shafiqul Islam is. Ask the biggest goon there about Shafiqul Islam Masud.”

“Don’t heat up your head by talking nonsense. If your head gets heated up, you won’t be able to handle it. Now you have started another tune—good people have no value. What an uncivilised country, what ignorance, what foolishness! Good people have value and will continue to have it. The struggle will continue until Bauphal becomes what it should be. If I say more, you won’t be able to handle it,” he further said.

Referring to development activities under former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, Shafiqul Islam said, “Sheikh Hasina too carried out development works, but why did she still have to flee? If development alone could ensure survival, then Sheikh Hasina should have been the one to survive in Bangladesh. Why could she not? She built roads, jetties and bridges—she did this and that—but there was no happiness in people’s minds. People had no rights. Without ensuring citizens’ rights and freedom of expression, it is not possible to earn public trust through infrastructure development alone.”

When contacted by phone at around 3:00 pm today, Monday, Shafiqul Islam told Prothom Alo, “It is extremely difficult for any sane person to accept the false and indecent remarks that are being spread on social media about my late father, my father-in-law and my wife.”

“I made some comments directed at those people. However, I also said many good things, and those should be publicised as well,” he added.