BNP Leader Gafur Mia Faces Allegations of Collusion, Land Grabbing and Political Domination in Ashulia
After the fall of the Awami League government, parties across the country speak about rebuilding and political discipline. In Ashulia, Dhaka, the picture looks the opposite. Many people have made allegations against Ashulia Thana BNP General Secretary and former Swanirvar Dhamsona Union Chairman Mr. Alhaj Md. Abdul Gafur Mia. They say he has made open and secret deals with Awami League leaders, controls the jhut business and grabs institutions. A video on social media has recently caused strong anger and talk in local politics.
The video went viral on social media recently. It shows BNP leader Mr. Abdul Gafur Mia walking on a footpath in front of New Market in Kolkata, India, with Mr. Hazi Abdul Gani. Mr. Gani is the former mayor of Savar Municipality and the president of the municipal Awami League. He is also an accused in the murder cases over the killing of students and people. The video shows the two men talking closely and moving around together. Many sources claim Mr. Gafur Mia took part in this meeting as part of a secret understanding. Earlier, a photo also went viral on social media, showing the two men sitting at a bus counter in Kolkata.
Since the political change in August, more than a dozen murder cases have been filed against Mr. Hazi Abdul Gani for attacks on students and people. People say a secret deal between a BNP leader and a runaway accused like him has caused a big debate. It has hurt the party’s policy and local politics. Along with the political deal, people also accuse the BNP leader of violent acts and land grabs. Earlier this year, a group attacked, vandalized and tried to take over a madrasa run by Darul Ihsan Trust in Sripur, Ashulia.
At that time, people alleged that followers and associates of Mr. Gafur Mia used the change of power to take over the madrasa. Many sources say Mr. Abdul Gafur Mia and his associates control the jhut business, which deals with garment waste, in the factories of the Ashulia industrial area. They also control the footpaths. Despite all these disputes, land grabs and the allegation of secret deals with the friends of fascism, Mr. Gafur Mia has not stopped. His deal with the banned Awami League also made him an accused in several cases during the mass uprising of students and people. Now he is making strong preparations to run for Chairman under the BNP banner in the coming Union Parishad election from the historic Swanirvar Dhamsona Union of Ashulia.
Loyal grassroots BNP leaders and workers have shown anger over this. Several senior local BNP leaders did not want to give their names. They said ordinary workers have faced torture and cases for the last 16 years. They said if Mr. Gafur Mia holds a top post and makes deals with runaway Awami League leaders and joins land grabs, then Dhamsona’s leadership is not safe in his hands. In December last year, a speech by Mr. Abdul Gafur Mia also led to much discussion and criticism in the Savar and Ashulia area.
In that speech, Mr. Gafur Mia claimed that grassroots workers went to jail and faced attacks and cases during the hard times of the party and the street movements, while Mr. Salauddin Babu was abroad. He also called it immoral to stay away from the field, then come just before the election and take full control of the party or demand the nomination. At that time, Ashulia Thana BNP General Secretary Mr. Hazi Abdul Gafur Mia was active as one of the main followers of Mr. Kafil Uddin’s political circle. In the same line, he spoke at an event against the leadership of Dr. Dewan Mohammad Salauddin Babu and took an opposing stand.
These acts of Mr. Abdul Gafur Mia have raised serious questions in the minds of ordinary people in Ashulia politics. After the August change, people hoped for politics free of terror and land grabs. But this double role of an influential leader puts the image of the party at risk locally. To get his comment on these matters, this correspondent called the mobile phone of Ashulia Thana BNP General Secretary Mr. Alhaj Md. Abdul Gafur Mia many times, but his phone was switched off.
