Dhaka, Bangladesh: Two former Awami League leaders have demanded arrest of three siblings — Tofail Ahmed Joseph, Haris Ahmed and Anis Ahmed – as they are still carrying out criminal activities in Mohammadpur area of the capital from their hideouts.
The demand came from a press briefing at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) at Segunbagicha in the capital on Sunday.
AL leaders Habibur Rahman Mizan and Tarekuzzaman Razib made the demand after getting release from jail in ‘false’ cases.
Mizan and Razib, both former councillors of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), were implicated in ‘false’ cases following their arrest in an anti-casino drive.
They alleged that they were arrested and sued in false cases to protect the criminal brothers of a powerful person.
Of them, Joseph and Haris are among the 23 top listed and most wanted criminals of the capital on the police list.
Mizan, a former councillor of ward-32, and Razib, a former councillor of ward-33, came up with the allegation amid death threats from the trio.
The two ‘victims’ have sought the intervention from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to save them.
Mizan, also former general secretary of Mohammadpur Thana Unit of Awami League, said, “On May 7 in 1996, my brother Mostafizur Rahman was shot dead at Mohammadpur. In the case, a court awarded death sentence to Joseph and life imprisonment to Haris and Anis.”
“Later, the Appellate Division commuted Joseph’s death sentence to life imprisonment. Afterwards, the President granted them clemency,” he added.
“To take revenge, the three brothers with the help of that powerful person got me arrested in a false case with a broken firearm in October 2019,” he said.
Mizan said many land deeds and valuable and important documents were taken away by RAB during a raid on his house, but they were not shown in the seizure list.
“The deeds and other documents have not yet been returned to me,” he said.
Razib, who also served as former joint general secretary of Awami Jubo League’s Dhaka North City Unit, said, “The powerful man to keep the interest of his brothers made me arrested by the RAB and I was indicted in a false case.”
He alleged that the Joseph-Haris’ family is widely known as a terror family in the capital.
“Mohammadpur is an old haven for their criminal activities. Now they want to do politics. I was arrested in a preplanned way so that they could help their nephew Asif Ahmed to be elected as councillor of the ward,” he said.
“I had to suffer three years in jail without committing any offence,” he said.
