Business leaders from several markets in Dhaka's Gulistan area have alleged that leaders and activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami staged a show of force carrying locally made weapons, creating fear among traders and attempting to illegally seize control of the Nagar Plaza Market in the Fulbaria area.
The allegations were made at a press conference held at Nagar Plaza Market on Monday afternoon. Representatives from Nagar Plaza, Zaker Super Market, Fulbaria Super Market-2, and City Plaza Market were present.
Reading out a written statement, Nagar Plaza business leader Md. Kamruzzaman said that Nagar Plaza, Fulbaria Super Market-2, Block-B Shop Owners' Cooperative Society Ltd. is a cooperative registered under the Department of Cooperatives and has been managing the market on behalf of the Dhaka South City Corporation.
He alleged that after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, the then-president of the market committee fled, creating an opportunity for Md. Suman, Auwal, Faruk, and Hanif Bacchu and their associates to take control of the market and the cooperative by identifying themselves as Jamaat-e-Islami activists.
According to him, over the past two years they have engaged in extortion, illegal construction of shops, forced eviction of legitimate shop owners, establishment of unauthorized stalls in front of permanent shops and on footpaths, collection of money in the name of repairing and operating lifts, excessive electricity charges, and collection of funds under various pretexts, including WASA bills.
He further alleged that they misappropriated Tk 4 million collected as electricity bills, Tk 2.8 million in WASA bills, and Tk 3 million collected for lift repairs without paying the respective dues.
Kamruzzaman said that after the market committee's tenure expired, the Dhaka District Cooperative Office appointed an interim management committee comprising five government officials on April 8 to oversee the market's operations and conduct elections.
However, when cooperative officials went to hand over the official appointment letter, Jamaat activists Md. Suman and Hanif Bacchu allegedly misbehaved with them and refused to accept the document.
He said that on June 29, in the presence of officials from Banshal Police Station, local BNP leaders, and other stakeholders, the responsibility for managing the market was formally transferred to the interim management committee. As a result, the market was freed from what he described as illegal occupation after nearly two years and is now being administered by the government-appointed interim committee.
Kamruzzaman claimed that after losing control of the market and their alleged extortion activities, Md. Suman and Hanif Bacchu have been spreading false propaganda against local councillor Md. Mamun, local BNP leaders and activists, and the business community.
He also alleged that neither Suman nor Hanif Bacchu had ever been members of the market committee and that they do not own any shop or business in the market. Nevertheless, they are allegedly trying to take over the market through muscle power.
Referring to Sunday's procession, he alleged that Jamaat leaders and activists carried hockey sticks, wooden staves, and bamboo sticks under the banner of a peace rally, creating panic among traders in the Gulistan area.
Rejecting allegations that BNP leaders were involved in extortion, Siddiq Hawlader, President of the City Plaza Market Business Association, said no BNP leader or activist had ever demanded extortion money from traders in Nagar Plaza or the surrounding markets, and that no one could produce any evidence to support such claims.
He added that since the show of force involving locally made weapons, customers have been avoiding the markets due to fear. He urged the authorities to investigate what he described as false propaganda and attempts to unlawfully seize control of the market.
Among those present at the press conference were Golam Kibria Swadhin, Rabiul Islam Rubel, and Gazi Mizanur Rahman of Fulbaria Nagar Plaza Market; Abdul Hannan Pradhan of Zaker Super Market; and Moslem Uddin of City Plaza Market, among others.
