Lawmakers above the law
by Saad Hammadi
The controversy surrounding AL lawmaker Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shaon and his licensed weapon which killed Jubo League activist Ibrahim Ahmed, once again highlights the penchant of ruling party lawmakers to end up on the other side of the law.
According to media reports, at least 11 current lawmakers have so far been involved in skirmishes with the law. A special target of lawmakers appears to be hapless government officials who have shown allegiance to the laws of the land, instead of the whims of elected lawmakers. And some officials have been at the receiving end of the full wrath of elected MPs, especially when a government contract, tender has been involved.
The slap masters
Awami League lawmaker from Jessore-1, Sheikh Afil Uddin slapped Enamul Huq, the officer-in-charge of Sharsa police station in Jessore, for filing a case against a ruling party activist. Afil was miffed with Enamul for implicating a ruling party activist in the murder of BNP activist Abdul Hamid. Three others assaulted the OC in front of the lawmaker after he was called at the lawmaker's jute mill on August 15.
Movie actor and Awami League lawmaker Sarah Begum Kabari allegedly slapped Sheikh Shahidul Islam, a photojournalist of a local daily newspaper, Sitalakkhya, in Narayanganj on March 15, 2009. She was unhappy with a report published in the newspaper. But her violence did not cease there. She also assaulted Fatema Manir, an upazila vice chairman, in another incident.
The bone breakers
AL lawmaker for Cox Bazar-4 constituency (Ukhia), Abdur Rahman Badi, lost his cool when he found out that a road restoration tender in his constituency had been awarded to Enam Sikder, a Jamaat leader. Badi went to the sight of the restoration work, grabbed Abdul Halim, the executive engineer of Roads and Highways Department who was supervising the work, and started beating him in public on June 16 last year.
Badi's violent streak however, is not an isolated event. Since the Awami League government came into power, many of Badi's contemporaries have been more than eager to flex their muscles.
AL lawmaker for Dhaka-15 constituency, Elias Uddin Mollah, was furious on June 30 having been stuck in traffic for a long time. The hotheaded parliament member pounced on Shariful Islam, the traffic sergeant on duty at the Savar police outpost, for failing to clear the way for him. According to a police statement, the angry MP swore at the sergeant, slapped him and pounded him with a stick, so severely, that it knocked him out. Judging by the physical prowess of some its members, it is no wonder that the ruling party members have a penchant for throwing up warnings and threats every now and then.
Earlier this year on January 6, Zakir Hossain, AL lawmaker for Kurigram-4 constituency, assaulted Mosharraf Hossain, a land office staffin Roumari upazila.
Moazzem Hossain Ratan, Awami League lawmaker for Sunamganj-1 constituency, beat up Akkasuddin Ahmed, president of Jayasree High School and general secretary of Jayasree union Awami League, for not selecting a person nominated by the MP as office assistant.
Whose gun is it anyway?
Juba League activist Ibrahim Ahmed died from a bullet wound that came from a firearm licensed to AL lawmaker, Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shaon. The incident, which police confirm occurred with Shaon's firearm and inside his jeep at the Sangsad Bhaban area on August 13, is still under investigation, with the police trying to ascertain who pressed the trigger. Shaon was elected lawmaker for Bhola-3 constituency in the recently held by-polls. Whether Shaon pressed the trigger or not, the use of his firearm puts him on the top of the list of MPs on the other side of the law with widespread speculation that he may be implicated in the case.
Land grabbing – keeping with the tradition
Chapainawabganj municipality mayor Ataur Rahman filed a case on April 9 against Abdul Wadud, AL lawmaker for Chapainawabganj-3, on charges of grabbing land. Wadud and Mahfuzur Rahman, another party activist, were accused of forcibly acquiring a disputed land in Islampur of Chapainawabganj. Althouh Wadud brushed aside the allegation against him, the Court issued a show cause notice asking for an explanation.
Cronies of AL lawmaker Golam Moula Roni filed four 'false' cases against two local journalists at Galachipa in Patuakhali in a bid to harass them after they had reported on Roni's involvement in land grabbing on a riverbank and setting up a market with his backing.
How about keeping the police behind bars for a day
MA Latif, ruling party lawmaker for Chittagong-10 constituency, attempted to force his way into a meeting of the Water Transport Coordination Cell (WTCC) in the port city in June last year. When he was barred from doing so, he is alleged to have sworn at the police officials present there and even had the premises put under lock and key.
Lifetime presidency
While most of his equivalents have been playing the 'hard punch', Abdul Mannan, ruling party lawmaker of Jhenidah-4 constituency has been on a different euphoria. The parliamentarian has become president of 11 educational institutions' governing bodies. A person can become president of only four educational institutions in his or her constituency, according to government rules.
According to media reports, at least 11 current lawmakers have so far been involved in skirmishes with the law. A special target of lawmakers appears to be hapless government officials who have shown allegiance to the laws of the land, instead of the whims of elected lawmakers. And some officials have been at the receiving end of the full wrath of elected MPs, especially when a government contract, tender has been involved.
The slap masters
Awami League lawmaker from Jessore-1, Sheikh Afil Uddin slapped Enamul Huq, the officer-in-charge of Sharsa police station in Jessore, for filing a case against a ruling party activist. Afil was miffed with Enamul for implicating a ruling party activist in the murder of BNP activist Abdul Hamid. Three others assaulted the OC in front of the lawmaker after he was called at the lawmaker's jute mill on August 15.
Movie actor and Awami League lawmaker Sarah Begum Kabari allegedly slapped Sheikh Shahidul Islam, a photojournalist of a local daily newspaper, Sitalakkhya, in Narayanganj on March 15, 2009. She was unhappy with a report published in the newspaper. But her violence did not cease there. She also assaulted Fatema Manir, an upazila vice chairman, in another incident.
The bone breakers
AL lawmaker for Cox Bazar-4 constituency (Ukhia), Abdur Rahman Badi, lost his cool when he found out that a road restoration tender in his constituency had been awarded to Enam Sikder, a Jamaat leader. Badi went to the sight of the restoration work, grabbed Abdul Halim, the executive engineer of Roads and Highways Department who was supervising the work, and started beating him in public on June 16 last year.
Badi's violent streak however, is not an isolated event. Since the Awami League government came into power, many of Badi's contemporaries have been more than eager to flex their muscles.
AL lawmaker for Dhaka-15 constituency, Elias Uddin Mollah, was furious on June 30 having been stuck in traffic for a long time. The hotheaded parliament member pounced on Shariful Islam, the traffic sergeant on duty at the Savar police outpost, for failing to clear the way for him. According to a police statement, the angry MP swore at the sergeant, slapped him and pounded him with a stick, so severely, that it knocked him out. Judging by the physical prowess of some its members, it is no wonder that the ruling party members have a penchant for throwing up warnings and threats every now and then.
Earlier this year on January 6, Zakir Hossain, AL lawmaker for Kurigram-4 constituency, assaulted Mosharraf Hossain, a land office staffin Roumari upazila.
Moazzem Hossain Ratan, Awami League lawmaker for Sunamganj-1 constituency, beat up Akkasuddin Ahmed, president of Jayasree High School and general secretary of Jayasree union Awami League, for not selecting a person nominated by the MP as office assistant.
Whose gun is it anyway?
Juba League activist Ibrahim Ahmed died from a bullet wound that came from a firearm licensed to AL lawmaker, Nurunnabi Chowdhury Shaon. The incident, which police confirm occurred with Shaon's firearm and inside his jeep at the Sangsad Bhaban area on August 13, is still under investigation, with the police trying to ascertain who pressed the trigger. Shaon was elected lawmaker for Bhola-3 constituency in the recently held by-polls. Whether Shaon pressed the trigger or not, the use of his firearm puts him on the top of the list of MPs on the other side of the law with widespread speculation that he may be implicated in the case.
Land grabbing – keeping with the tradition
Chapainawabganj municipality mayor Ataur Rahman filed a case on April 9 against Abdul Wadud, AL lawmaker for Chapainawabganj-3, on charges of grabbing land. Wadud and Mahfuzur Rahman, another party activist, were accused of forcibly acquiring a disputed land in Islampur of Chapainawabganj. Althouh Wadud brushed aside the allegation against him, the Court issued a show cause notice asking for an explanation.
Cronies of AL lawmaker Golam Moula Roni filed four 'false' cases against two local journalists at Galachipa in Patuakhali in a bid to harass them after they had reported on Roni's involvement in land grabbing on a riverbank and setting up a market with his backing.
How about keeping the police behind bars for a day
MA Latif, ruling party lawmaker for Chittagong-10 constituency, attempted to force his way into a meeting of the Water Transport Coordination Cell (WTCC) in the port city in June last year. When he was barred from doing so, he is alleged to have sworn at the police officials present there and even had the premises put under lock and key.
Lifetime presidency
While most of his equivalents have been playing the 'hard punch', Abdul Mannan, ruling party lawmaker of Jhenidah-4 constituency has been on a different euphoria. The parliamentarian has become president of 11 educational institutions' governing bodies. A person can become president of only four educational institutions in his or her constituency, according to government rules.
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