TDS Desk:

The criminal exploits of Golam Dastagir Gazi were widely known in Rupganj. His reputation as a corrupt politician, land-grabber, looter, and drug trafficker was no secret. Yet, he remained untouchable. Just as his misdeeds were an open secret, so too was his extramarital affair with local Awami League leader Ferdousi Alam Neela. Their long-standing relationship was no cause for concealment. In fact, Gazi’s wife, former mayor Hasina Gazi, and their son Pappa Gazi, were well aware of it. Following the exposure of the affair, Hasina began blackmailing her husband. In return, she secured political power for herself—eventually becoming mayor of Tarabo Municipality, allegedly without contest. Hasina is said to have amassed enormous wealth by leveraging her husband’s crimes.

To appease his wife and lover simultaneously, Gazi brought Neela into politics. According to multiple sources, he even became romantically involved with Neela’s daughter in his later years. But Neela’s love was far from selfless—she leveraged the affair to establish herself as Rupganj’s de facto “shadow minister,” amassing enormous wealth and power. Her dramatic rise from a modest background to opulent wealth became a talking point across the country.

Neela, whose name symbolises success, seemed to embody that fate—albeit through illegitimate means. Once a field officer at BRAC, she amassed hundreds of crores through corruption, misappropriation of public funds, fictitious development projects, and abuse of political power. She owned at least a dozen plots in Purbachal New Town, vast swathes of land, a five-storey luxury home in Dhaka, brand showrooms in elite shopping malls, and businesses in China and Singapore.

Her relationship with Gazi bolstered her influence. Even the plot of land designated for a cricket stadium was seized and turned into “Neela Market,” which became a hub for illicit activities. The area surrounding the market became a haven for criminals. Owing to her ties with Gazi and her position as female vice-chair of the Upazila Parishad, the local administration dared not act against her.

When Neela was removed from the Awami League committee, Gazi rushed to Sheikh Hasina and reportedly paid a hefty sum to reinstate her. Thus, Neela became politically unstoppable.

She also illegally constructed “Neela Market” by grabbing a Rajuk plot and later built an “Awami League Club” on adjacent land, maintained by her husband Shah Alam Fatik and brother-in-law Anwar Hossain. She encroached on land meant for disabled children’s recreational use to construct a women’s club and grabbed a 76-katha plot initially allocated for a convention centre to build the “Purbachal Club.” The market value of that land is around Tk 100 crore. Using political influence and manipulation, she obtained official documents and illegally transferred the plot to her own name.

Neela also took control of Yusufganj School and College, originally allocated 147 kathas by Rajuk. Since 2010, she had chaired the school’s governing body and earned crores annually by leasing surrounding vacant plots for Eid cattle markets—without depositing a penny into the school fund.

She occupied over 50 plots in Sector 4 of Purbachal for years to run a coal business, which created severe environmental issues for residents. In January 2024, following public outrage, Rajuk launched an eviction drive to halt her operations temporarily. Soon after, she resumed trading bricks, sand, and stones, securing partnerships with big businesses for hefty kickbacks.

Following the fall of the Awami League, Rajuk demolished the illegal “Purbachal Ladies Club” and other establishments, declaring them unlawful. Multiple plots Neela had seized were reclaimed. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) also launched an investigation into her activities and summoned her on 30 August last year. However, she failed to appear. Since 5 August 2024, neither Neela nor her family members have returned to Rupganj. Sources claim she is currently residing in Dubai.