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Politicians, outlaws go hand in hand

Ongoing drive finds local figures of all parties partners in crime

Shariful Islam, back from Kushtia
A nexus of outlaws and some mainstream political leaders kept alive the decades-old left-leaning extremism, which later turned into absolute terrorism in the southwestern district of Kushtia.
People in the region have so suffered at the hands of the outlaws that they now want a total elimination of these elements. But a recent investigation by The Daily Star reveals how a number of local politicians are protecting the outlaws for their own political, financial and other interests. Locals allege there have long been give-and-take relations between the mainstream and underground political forces, who serve each other from behind the scene when necessary.
Politicians argue they have no alterna-
tive to giving in to the outlaws to keep their lives and businesses secure. But a number of politicians are in fact providing these outlaws a safe haven so that they can be used for winning elections and tender bids and establishing political supremacy.
The Daily Star correspondent could arrange a meeting with an outlaw leader, who claims they always maintain good relations with mainstream political leaders, especially those in power, for their own safety.
"We always maintain a good tie with the ruling party leaders. We do it to save our skin from the law enforcers from being killed in crossfire," says a Gono Mukti Fouz (GMF) leader on the understanding of anonymity.
The law-enforcement agencies cracking down on outlaws have also unearthed names of some local leaders of ruling Awami League (AL), main opposition BNR Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiya Party and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) who provide support as patrons to the outlaws.
An intelligence agency has already prepared a list of such bigwig patrons that includes four AL lawmakers, one lawmaker from the AI.-led 14-party alliance and seven former BNP legislators.
Sources say an eminent lawyer and a central AL leader have secured their place on the list.
The ongoing crackdown on the outlaws began on August 22 following a serious slide in law and order in the region.
In Kushtia, Gono Bahini has recently killed seven cadres of rival GMF and dumped their severed heads near Islami University and the R&H Department and the bodies a few kilometres away.
Since the beginning of the drive, 61 suspected outlaws were killed in 'crossfire' during 'encounters' between their cohorts and law enforcers. However, the victims are cadres of the lowest tier as the top outlaws have already gone into hiding, sources say.
Allegations are rife that AL district unit General Secretary Azgor Ali and Vice-president Haji Rabiul bribed the law enforcers a huge amount of money to save the outlaw-turned AL leaders from "extra-judicial” execution.
Both Azgor and Rabiul denied the allegations but admitted that "they only interfere when their party leaders are held and implicated in pending cases".They allege there arc some loyalists of the four-party alliance in the administration who are arresting their party leaders and activists following a list prepared during the caretaker and four-party rules.
"How do you expect we won't award tenders to our party men who were deprived for long?" asked Rabiul who was earlier vice-president of district unit Gono Forum and Islami Shashantantra Andolan.
MEETING WITH AN OUTLAW LEADER The meeting with a GMF leader, who is in charge of a certain area, was arranged in West Madanpur on the outskirts of Kushtia town.
But soon after this correspondent started for the meeting venue with a mediator, the outlaw leader changed the spot three times in a span of seven minutes as part of precaution.
Several men were seen observing the situation as the mediator rode his motorcycle into an alley with every lamppost turned off. A man was waiting at a certain spot who disappeared and then the expected outlaw leader turned up.
The local mediator left this correspondent alone for the talks after giving a reminder about the allocated time for the meeting.
The outlaw leader began the talks about their patrons in the region and did not hesitate to say the names of AL district unit General Secretary Azgor Ali and Vice-president Haji Rabiul.
"Now we're a bit tormented as the crossfire thing has begun again,” he said, adding they are trying to arrange their surrender through their political patrons.
During the conversation, the man suddenly said, "I'm not able to stay here any further," and quickly disappeared into the dark.