Empire of five fingers

Staff Correspondent:

Former LGRD Minister Tajul Islam wielded the power of his “five fingers”—a metaphor for both his grip on corruption and his inner circle of trusted aides. In Cumilla’s Monohargonj and Laksam, a parallel empire of influence and illicit wealth flourished under his name. Despite owning over 20 industrial ventures, Tajul pursued more unlawful gain through the scheming of his five close confidants: nephew and ex-upazila vice chairman Amirul Islam, Jubo League leader Shahadat Hossain, personal assistant Md Kamal Hossain, assistant private secretary Zahid Hossain, and brother-in-law Mohabbat Ali, also the general secretary of the local Awami League.

This inner circle, under Tajul’s directives, dominated the Monohargonj and Laksam upazilas. Dissent was met with persecution through a secret torture cell ominously named the “Ainaghar” (House of Mirrors). Land grabbing, commission rackets, transfer deals, and appointment trades were orchestrated through subgroups led by the five. As minister, Tajul siphoned money from projects under city corporations, WASA, municipalities, LGED, the Public Health Engineering Department, and the Rural Development Academy, channelling it all through his “five fingers.”

Shahadat, Tajul’s nephew, played accountant and advisor, counting every illegal penny funnelled through commissions from various projects—particularly a 10% cut from LGED contracts. Dealings were often finalised at the Fabian Group building in Dhaka’s Tejgaon. Unofficial lobbying deals for city corporations and WASA also took place here. Sources reveal Shahadat, along with APS Zahid and nephew Amirul, controlled transfers, tenders, and allocations within the Local Government Ministry. Gaining an audience with the minister required first passing through them.

A transfer for an LGED engineer cost Tk25 to Tk50 lakh, while appointing a project director or supervising engineer could exceed Tk1 crore. Kamal and others in the circle collected these sums. Shahadat, effectively Monohorgonj’s de facto administrator, ordered land grabs and punishment for dissenters. He extorted over Tk30 crore from aspiring UP candidates with promises of unopposed victories in the last elections, a portion of which was deposited in Tajul’s fund.

Several Monohargonj UP chairmen admitted that three months prior to elections, lists of candidates desiring uncontested wins were submitted to Tajul. Those wishing to be on the final list paid Tk15–25 lakh for chairman posts and Tk6 lakh for member posts. A condition required a 20% cut from all development allocations and TR-Kabikha projects to be given to Tajul’s fund. Shahadat and Amirul enforced this rule locally.

In Laksam, Tajul’s brother-in-law Mohabbat Ali operated the infamous Ainaghar torture cell beside the police station, carrying out Tajul’s orders to divide tenders, extort money, and abuse opposition activists. He expanded this network through associates Nizam Uddin Shamim and Omar Faruk, opening branches in Gobindapur and Kandirpar. With the minister’s influence, Mohabbat conducted widespread land and pond grabs, and was made vice chairman of the upazila in 2012.

Residents and political opponents recall 15.5 years of suffering under Tajul’s regime. Properties were seized, crops stolen, and businesses shut. Laksam Jamaat leader Md Zainal Abedin and BNP’s Abdur Rahman Badal claimed over 150 false cases were filed against opponents. At least 400 cases forced thousands to flee. In 2013, Laksam BNP president Saiful Islam Hiru and municipal president Humayun Kabir Parvez were abducted in an alleged RAB operation and never seen again.

Cumilla’s Public Prosecutor Advocate Md Badiul Alam Sujon stated he was falsely implicated in 27 cases simply for securing bail for individuals Tajul had targeted with legal charges.

During Tajul’s 5.5-year tenure as minister, over Tk1,000 crore in DPHE projects flowed into Comilla. His PA, Kamal, handled contractor selection and extracted 10% commissions, controlling LGED operations in Comilla. Despite amassing over Tk300 crore in wealth, Kamal is now on the run. ACC filed a case on 23 November 2023, accusing him of possessing Tk9 crore in illegal assets. He reportedly owns multiple houses in Comilla’s Housing Estate and several flats in Big Bazaar, Kandirpar.

On 27 October, Monir Ahmed, joint convenor of Laksam BNP, filed a case against Tajul Islam and 14 others accusing them of extortion, vandalism, and attempted murder over a demand for Tk20 lakh.

Land Grab in Wife’s Name: In 2019, while officially purchasing about 100 acres, Tajul also seized around 400 acres more in Lama, Bandarban under his wife Fouzia Islam’s name. The landholding gradually expanded, and a luxury bungalow was constructed, with LGED funding even used for roads and culverts to access the property.

In his 2018 election affidavit, Tajul declared assets exceeding Tk100 crore. However, ACC sources suggest this is a fraction of his actual holdings. He secretly accumulated vast wealth using his inner circle. On 15 April, a court ordered the freezing of 304.59 acres of land, flats, and 26 shares in Fouzia’s name. The Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge issued the order following an ACC petition.

Seized immovable properties include a plot and flat in Gulshan, a quarter-share in a four-storey house in Chattogram’s Halishahar, and 304.59 acres of land in Lama based on 53 lease deeds. Movable assets blocked include 12 bank accounts and shares in 14 companies.

The seizure request stated that Fouzia possessed assets worth Tk6.9 crore inconsistent with her known income, obtained with Tajul’s illicit earnings. Suspicious transactions included Tk13.93 crore in deposits and Tk13.18 crore in withdrawals from 11 accounts. Total laundering activities amounted to Tk27.11 crore, prompting a case under anti-corruption and money laundering laws.

On 13 April, another court order froze Tajul’s 28.63 bighas of land in Dhaka, Comilla, and Narayanganj, two commercial properties, a flat, a shop, and 50 bank accounts holding Tk28 crore in shares and deposits.

Tajul is reportedly in India. His close associate Mahbubur Rahman of Fabian Group confirmed recent communication with Shahadat but denied contact with Tajul or others. All key associates are now fugitives, with investigators failing to trace them. Repeated attempts to reach them by phone have been unsuccessful.