Joynal Hazari wants to get back in Politics: Seeking PM’s blessing

 

“Controversial” political figure Joynal Abedin Hazari may re-enter active politics anytime soon as he awaits a green signal from the ruling Awami League high command.
The former general secretary of Feni district AL met party president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a couple of days ago at Gono Bhaban and handed over a letter to her seeking permission to be active in politics, party insiders said.

The party chief will soon hold a view-exchange meeting with the Feni AL leaders, where Hazari might attend as an invitee. The AL leadership might ask its Feni unit to prepare for holding the district council.
In the letter, the expelled leader also asked for permission to sue Latifur Rahman, former chief adviser of a caretaker government, for making derogatory comments against him ahead of the 2001 national polls.
He insisted that he will arrange a big showdown in Feni and regain the “lost organisational strength” of local AL.
Hazari also sought prime minister’s assistance to get back his licenced arms which were seized from his Feni residence during the last caretaker government regime.
This latest development has sparked resentment among both the central and local leaders and activists of the party.
Several AL leaders said if Hazari is rehabilitated in politics, the party would have to face a major blow due to his past criminal records.
He was expelled from the party in April 2003 for creating chaos at a meeting in Feni in presence of the then party general secretary Abdul Jalil and also for working against the party-backed chairman candidate in the Sadar upazila election in the same year.
Contacted, acting general secretary of Feni AL Abdur Rahman said they do not believe the party high command would accept Hazari back in the party after nine years.
“But as the supreme leader of our party, the prime minister can give him any responsibility and in that case we won’t oppose. As party activists we must accept her decision,” he added.
According to AL constitution, there is no scope for an expelled leader to return to his previous post, maintained Rahman, also chairman of Feni Sadar upazila. “A new council can only decide on this.”

AL deputy office secretary Mrinal Kanti Das told The Daily Star that Hazari would take a top position in the district AL committee only if the party and people want him. “Even our party chief can directly nominate him for any post in the committee as per the party constitution.”
AL Organising Secretary Ahmed Hossain, who looks after the Chittagong divisional affairs of the party, claimed although Hazari does not hold any party post now, he is still an AL leader. “So it is irrelevant to talk about his comeback in politics.”
Ahead of the 2008 parliamentary polls, AL had withdrawn the expulsion orders against many of its leaders including Hazari who once had acted against the party favourites in some local elections, argued Ahmed.
Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, who contested the Feni-2 constituency in the last parliamentary elections from AL, claimed Hazari’s expulsion still remains in force.
“As our prime minister had placed the charter for change before the nation ahead of the last general elections, she stayed away from the controversial leaders. So I hope she won’t take any decision that would ultimately harm the party,” said Sobhan, also president of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists.
“I believe she will seek opinion from Feni Awami League leaders before deciding on this as the people want peace,” he mentioned.
AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif however said he has no idea about any move to bring Hazari back to politics and the party is yet to discuss the matter.
Hazari went into hiding in August 2001 and appeared in public in February 2009. He was awarded a total of 60 years’ imprisonment in five cases in absentia.
He was wanted over 19 criminal cases filed with different police stations in Feni on various charges including killing, possessing illegal arms, laundering money and carrying out arson attacks.
He had been in Kolkata of India in August 2001 when the joint forces raided his residence “Shaila Kutir” at Masterpara in Feni town.
The law enforcers seized arms and ammunitions including one rifle, two loaded revolvers, magazines of sub-machine gun, 431 bullets and some contraband items from the house.