-AL leaders promoted even with allegations
- Jute mill’s club house turned into cow farm
The Bangladeshi jute mill industry and sugar industry was destroyed in the last 15 years by the then Awami League and collaborates. The Khalishpur Platinum Jute Mill is one of them. This was controlled by the Bangladesh Jute Mill Corporation (BJMC), it was a haven for the misdeeds of Awami League leaders until August 5. Using their high positions in the Swechhasebak League, Mohila League and Sramik League, some have been employees for years but have stayed in the officials' quarters, some have turned the quarters into storerooms for TCB products, while others have occupied the clubhouse and built cattle farms. In the changed context after the fall of the Hasina government, it was normal for them to face the law for these misdeeds, but it did not happen. On the contrary, these leaders, who were desperate to stop the anti-discrimination student movement, have now been promoted in reverse. And the Platinum Jute Mill has been destroyed by this cycle of the Awami League.
There are allegations that the project manager (GM) of the mill, Murad Hossain, introduced himself as a former Chhatra League leader and destroyed the mill in collusion with the syndicate of the police station Awami League General Secretary Monirul Islam Bashar, Ward No 10 Awami League General Secretary Imrul, and Ward No 11 former councilor Naimul Islam Khaled. No action was taken against this GM due to this conspiracy. Instead, he has now been promoted and has become the general manager.
There are further allegations that Jatiya Sramik League leader Selim Hossain Akon got the approval of central Awami League leader Amir Hossain Amu for the Sramik League pad. In doing so, the project manager of the mill Murad Hossain gave him verbal permission to use the colony club. After the mill was closed, this leader built a cow farm in that clubhouse. The herdsman of the farm, Rabiul Islam, said that a cow farm has been built here for the past one and a half years. There were 13 cows. However, they were sold and now there are 9 cows in the farm.
Shahana Sharmin, a Sramik League leader and Ward 11 Awami League member, has been working here for more than 20 years. Former State Minister for Labor Monnujan Sufian is her aunt. Using her aunt's name, she and her aunt established imperial. During the Awami League era, Shahana used to be in the front row of every party procession and meeting while working as a government employee. After the closure of the mill, the Ministry of Labor took an initiative to provide some cash assistance to unemployed workers. It is alleged that CBA General Secretary Humayun Kabir and Shahana Sharmin together embezzled several lakhs of taka by promising to include the names of the workers. Despite this, she was recently promoted and became an assistant accounting officer.
Another employee named Tariqul Islam, the labor affairs secretary of Khalishpur Thana Awami League, cut and prepared branches of the Platinum Mill tree to beat up anti-discrimination students. Even though he went into hiding after August 5, the authorities did not show him as absent. Rather, he was promoted.
Swechhasebak League leader Shahidur Rahman Mofiz has occupied 5 rooms of Platinum Bachelor staff quarters and kept TCB cartons and sacks. He has been building a godown here without permission for 4/5 years, which is still there. He also used to occupy a room himself. After the mill was closed, valuable goods of the mill were stolen with the help of the mill's security department. According to the information received, the authorities turned a blind eye to these acts. The looters cut the electricity poles and took them out in public. Locals said that the security guards were silent spectators at that time. But the head of the security department is denying this allegation.
Metropolitan BNP joint convener and former labor leader of Platinum Mill Abul Kalam Zia said that I have not gone to the mill premises after the mill was closed. However, there is no question of providing protection to these people.
Ward No. 11 BNP President Jahangir Hossain said that in the past, the mill's GM Murad Hossain felt comfortable introducing himself as a former Chhatra League leader. He committed many irregularities with this identity. However, after the fall of Hasina, he was promoted in the changed context of the country. He is now the general manager. At the same time, Shahana Sharmin, who was at the forefront of the movement and struggle during the Awami League, has been living in the officers' quarters as an ordinary employee for more than a decade and has now been promoted. Another Awami League leader, Tariqul Islam, cut and cleaned all the branches of the mill from August 3-5 and those branches were used to attack the protesting students. That Tariqul also got promoted. When asked about the allegations, Murad Hossain said that he has never been involved in politics. Far from being a member of the Chhatra League. He forced Swechhasebak League leader Mofiz to keep cartons and sacks. Similarly, Selim Akon started a cattle farm by force.
When contacted about the allegations against him, the newly promoted Shahana Sharmin said that there was no institutional or legal obstacle of being elected as the president of Ward No. 11 Awami League. Besides, 17-18 crore people in the country were with Awami politics at that time. Where is the objection if I do it?
The accused employee Tariqul Islam said that even though I am an employee, I have the right to do politics. I have served as the labor affairs secretary of Khalishpur Thana Awami League. And there is no prohibition on doing politics to achieve rights. Regarding the cattle farm in the club, he said, I did not do these things. I do not know who did it. The allegations against me are not correct.
TIB Sanak Khulna President Advocate Kudrat-e-Khoda said, due to political corruption, these employees have been in the same place for years by misusing their power. They will not be able to directly engage in politics as officials and employees of government mills. Let alone processions and meetings. Those who did this should be investigated and action should be taken against them.
When contacted, the BJMC member and transferred chairman refused to comment on the matter. Acting chairman Enam Chowdhury did not answer his mobile phone. Tanzila, project head of Daulatpur Jute Mill, said, there is a BJMC committee for giving promotions. The promotions were made on their recommendation. The project heads of the mills have no role in this. However, he believes that if the allegations of irregularities that we are hearing were investigated and if they were promoted, there would be no more controversy.
ZH
