Grand Alliance Unhappy
Mukta's return to Khulna AL evokes resentment
Khulna City Corporation (KCC) ward councillor Mohammad Hossain Mukta, who had a long criminal background, rejoined the Awami League along with a large number of his men on Friday night.
His return to the ruling party has evoked resentment among the leaders of the components of the grand alliance.
KCC Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque, also the president of Khulna city Awami League, received a bouquet from Mukta at the joining function held at Awami League office.
Mohammad Hossain Mukta, expelled from Awami League in 2004 for being a criminal as listed by city special branch of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP), was elected councillor for the second time from KCC ward No 31 on August 4, 2008.
He was first elected councilor from the same ward on April 25 in 2002 despite the background as most wanted criminal of the Sundarbans.
KMP special branch made a fresh list on January 31 in 2004 naming Mukta as ringleader of a gang of pirates (Mukta Bahini) of the Sundarbans.
It was stated in the updated list that the ward councillor is also an extortionist, illegal arms trader, land grabber and a murderer.
Once wanted in as many as 28 cases for robbery, extortion, piracy, murder and kidnapping for ransom filed with different police stations of Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira districts Mukta managed to evade arrest during Operation Clean Heart and Operation Spider Web and also after 1/11 change over.
Fact remains that his victory in both the elections of Khulna City Corporation held on April 25 in 2002 and on August 4 in 2008 came when he was absconding fearing arrest by security forces.
Mukta defected from Jatiya Party to join BNP in 1993 and left BNP to join Awami League in 1997. He quit Awami League again to join BNP in February of 2002.
Apart from 28 regular cases, over 100 general diaries were also filed by aggrieved people of the Sundarbans and coastal belts with different police stations of Khulna, Bagerhat, Pirojpur and Satkhira districts during last 30 years of his criminal career since 1980.
When asked, Mukta claimed that he had been acquitted in most of the criminal cases and exempted from charge-sheet of other cases. I was never a criminal as branded by my rivals, he said.
There is no case against Mukta on KMP's list, said Khulna Sadar Police Station OC SM Kamruzzaman who escorted the ward councillor to Awami League office from his Labonchora house on Friday night.
Khuna district Awami League President Sheikh Harun-ar-Rashid, when asked, said he was not informed about joining Awami League by ward councillor Mukta.
President of Khulna district unit of Jatiya Party Shafiqul Islam Madhu said Mukta's joining the Awami League has put a big question mark on sincerity of the ruling party to contain crimes and criminals.
Contacted, Rafiqul Haque Khokan, president of JSD Khulna city unit, said Awami League has allowed a man of criminal background in the party.
Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque could not be contacted as his private physician has asked him not to talk with anybody for next 10 days as he is suffering from serious throat problem.
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