The law enforcement agencies monitored Lt Col Hasinur Rahman during the Road Safety Movement because he spread rumours of murder and rape on social media. He termed democracy heresy and called for establishing a caliphate through armed warfare. A controversial portal called Netra News recently featured him in a video report.
Hasinur Rahman makes incorrect and contradictory statements in the report, which is intended to patronize militants labelled internationally. The purpose of this report will become clear when we consider the past of Hasinur Rahman seeking public sympathy.
Hasinur Rahman graduated from Bangladesh Military Academy’s 10th Long Term Course. His late father Habibur Rahman was the president of the BNP’s Laksam Upazila unit. During the Ziaur Rahman administration, he was Cumilla Judge Court’s Public Prosecutor.
Hasinur’s uncle, late Prof. Nurur Rahman, was elected as a Member of Parliament from Cumilla-18 Constituency for Ziaur Rahman’s BNP in the second National Parliamentary Election. In 2001, after the BNP gained power, he was transferred to a special force to implement its agenda due to his family ties to the party. Until now, he has been implementing the BNP’s agenda.
When the BNP came to power in 2001, Hasinur played a major role in killing political opponents through extrajudicial means. Hasinur Rahman masterminded at least 34 extrajudicial killings till 2008 while working in a special force in Chittagong. Hasinur was assigned the responsibility of permanently removing someone when it was necessary.
He was indicted in connection with the murder of Chittagong businessman Jamal Uddin. Ahmad Ullah of Satkania was the victim of extrajudicial killing after he left BNP to join another party. Founding member of BNP and current leader of LDP Oli Ahmed accused Hasinur Rahman of the incident at a press conference in this regard.
In 2007, Hasinur Rahman joined the banned militant organization Hizb-ut Tahrir. Besides, he was in regular contact with Huzi’s fugitive chief Maulana Yahya, Maulana Sheikh Farid and its Commander Maulana Sabbir.
He is reported to have smuggled sensitive information, including communication with the training camps of separatist groups of other countries in Chittagong and plans of military operations by the Bangladesh Army. Apart from supplying weapons to militants, he was also involved in supplying large quantities of weapons to several provinces in other neighbouring countries.
In September 2010, he held several meetings with militant members at a restaurant in Mascot Plaza, Uttara. This was in the presence of two representatives of a foreign intelligence agency working against Bangladesh’s interests. Law enforcement agencies arrested Hasinur for selling weapons at the meeting.
He was dismissed from the Bangladesh Army and sentenced to five years in prison for his involvement with banned militant organizations, separatist groups, anti-national activities, and foreign intelligence agencies. Hasinur was released after serving four years and three months in a treason case.
A military court sentenced Hasinur Rahman to prison for his involvement in militant activities and indiscipline in the Bangladesh Army. At that time he was kept in Dhaka Central Jail.
It should be noted that no one was arrested for political reasons during Sheikh Hasina’s government. But Bahauddin Nasim and Chowdhury Maulana Matiur were charged in connection with the Mymensingh bombings during the BNP government although Harkatul Jihad carried out the bombing. The arrested people joined Harkatul Jihad from Jamaat, according to a report published in the daily Prothom Alo at that time.
After his release, Hasinur once again got involved in controversial activities. He used to carry pistols with evil intentions. His pistol license was revoked due to the conviction and failure to renew the license.
He voluntarily went into hiding in 2018 to avoid surveillance by law enforcement agencies due to spreading rumours of disappearances, misinformation and extremist ideology during the Road Safety Movement. His family staged a disappearance drama by holding a press conference. He voluntarily returned to his family in 2020. His wife also admitted to the media that there was no sign of injury or torture on Hasinur’s body.
Hasinur Rahman was not politically influential. Many consider him to be mentally unbalanced due to his attitudes, vulgarity and incoherent behaviour. Nevertheless, some describe these things as pretensions. Instigated by domestic and foreign vested interest groups, he has given provocative and controversial statements on social media. It is believed that he has again tried to go viral by lying in an anti-state video full of fake and fabricated information called ‘Aynaghor (Mirror)’. Will the conscious public ever believe the lies of a controversial, traitorous and convicted criminal? It is all of our moral responsibility to reject and boycott them.
