Those behind the Faridpur brothers must not be spared
Eight months ago, the case against the two controversial brothers of Faridpur revealed that several leaders of the district Awami League had also amassed huge wealth using politics as a shield. The two brothers are former general secretary of Faridpur town unit, Sajjad Hossain alias Barkat and the expelled president of Faridpur Press Club, Imtiaz Hasan alias Rubel. But evidence has been found against many others in Faridpur being involved in extortion, land grabbing and other criminal activities.
Investigating officer of the police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted the charge sheet against 10 accused to Dhaka’s chief metropolitan magistrate’s court on 3 March. Former minister and Faridpur-3 lawmaker Khandker Mosharraf Hossain's brother Khandakar Mohtesham Hossain alias Babar and Khandker Mosharraf’s former APS, AHM Fuad are among the accused. Of the accused, Rubel, Barkat, Khandker Nazmul Islam and Asibur Rahman are behind bars now. The remaining six of the accused are on the run. Though the government has seized a portion of the wealth that the accused amassed illegally, the major portion of the wealth has been laundered abroad. The charge sheet states Barkat and Rubel amassed huge wealth under the patronage of former minister Mosharraf Hossain’s brother, Babar and the minister’s APS HM Fuad and others.
The plaintiff in the case, CID inspector SM Miraz Al Mahmud said investigation is on about the remaining 41 as associates in the crimes. If their involvement is proven, a supplementary charge sheet will be submitted to the court. On 25 February the court ordered 5,706 bighas of land of Barkat and Rubel to be seized. The court also ordered around Tk 100 million (Tk 10 crore) in 188 bank accounts to be confiscated too. Besides, 67 vehicles and 5,388 bighas of land and Tk 97.5 million (9.75 crore) that they owned has been confiscated.
The controversial two brothers of Faridpur have not only accumulated wealth under the patronage of power but have also been involved in terrorism, extortion, forcible occupation and lootings. They have tortured many people. Incidents of abusing power have not only happened in Faridpur, but political criminalisation is also being reported from more or less all other places in the country. The character of a certain class of the ruling party’s leaders and activists was exposed during the drive against casinos in Dhaka in 2019. But then the drive came to a halt for unknown reasons.
CID summited the charge sheet in the Faridpur incident. Trial proceedings will start. But arrest of all accused must come before everything else, otherwise they may flee the country or influence the case while inside the country.
Policymakers of the country say the law will take its own course. The lawsuit against Faridpur’s two brothers and others can be a test case for this. We hope that punishment of the perpetrators will be ensured after completing the trial proceedings within the shortest possible time and that the money that has been laundered abroad will be brought back as well.