Land grabbing is councillor Hasu’s obsession

You can do anything if you have considerable political power and a pack of goons exploiting others with fear.

Abul Hasem alias Hasu, councillor of ward no 30 of Dhaka North City Corporation, learned it in the very beginning of his political career and hence grew an obsession with land grabbing, extortion, drug trade and other criminal activities.

And so far, he has been proved a great success in the business with grabbing more than 50 plots and flats, and also a large amount of government khas lands in Adabor and Syamoli area of the city.

There is also an allegation that Hasu and his family have amassed several hundred crore takas through extortion and illegal drug trade.

After being elected as an independent councillor in 2002 Hasu built a gang and established a reign of terror in Adabor area.

To maintain control over the area Hasu killed at least two Chhatra League leaders and attacked many leaders and activists of the governing party of his ward.

Several victims of Hasu said on condition of anonymity that if he sets eyes on a land, he engages all his might to grab it. He sets his gang against the owners of the land, threatens them and grabs the land by attacking them physically. In some cases, his goons occupy the land and extort a hefty amount of money from the owner.

Four years back Hasu and his cadres grab the B-55 plot of Musurabad Wasa pump area at Adabor by attacking the owner Md Babul. His brother and nephew Shaon Biswas, a real estate businessman, lead the attack and inflicted 40 injury marks on Babul with sharp weapons. 

Thinking that Babul was dead the criminals left the spot but the victim survived the attack and filed a case against the attackers.

A few years back Hasu captured 56-kathas of land of two persons in Adabor area named Harun and Kamal and set up a firm named Shaon Traders there. Later, he made 7 plots there and sold those.

There are allegations that Hasu's cadres captured more than 50 plots and houses including a 5-katha plot at Adabor road no 10, a 3-katha plot at Shekhertek no 7, two plots of 8-katha and 10-katha at Baitul Aman Housing Society and a six-storey building named Aziz Garments at Uttar Adabor.

The victims said though the cadres grab the lands and plots, Hasu remains out of reach. He grabs those using different names and later sells.

Reaz Mahmud, president of Adabor thana Chhatra League and a victim of Hasu's cadres told The Business Standard, "Hasu councillor has established a reign of crime in the area by abusing power. If anybody protests, they become a target of his gang."

The political rise of Hasu

Once Hasu's whole family was involved with the politics of the BNP. He was elected a councillor as an independent candidate in 2002. Later he joined the Awami League and got elected as a councillor in the next election.

Hasu and his elder brother Abul Kasem, former vice-president of thana Awami League, was expelled from the Awami League in 2012 for tarnishing the party image with their criminal activities.

After the expulsion from the party, political rivalry between Hasu and local Awami League leaders increased.

His cadre Selim killed thana Chhatra League environment secretary Moshiur Rahman in 2017 in a bid to establish supremacy in the area.

His cadres were also involved in the killing of a BTV journalist Shahidul Islam. Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested seven members of Hasu's gang for involvement in the murder.

The gang

Councillor Hasu maintains a large gang of cadres to carry on land grabbing, extortion and drug trade. His most notable cadres include Muzammel Haque, Idris Ali alias Polythene Idris, Swadhin, Yasin, Al-Amin, Madhu, Raihan, Imran and Mahmud Dulal. They lead the criminal activities orchestrated by Hasu.

Hasu's gang carry out drug trade at 10 spots in Adabor area. The spots include Alif Housing, Munsurabad Housing, Shanir Beel slum, Shekhertek and Adabor 10.

This correspondent visited Hasu's office at Adabor no 2, but he was not available there. Both his official and personal numbers were switched off.

Local sources said commissioner Hasu went into hiding after the on-going anti-crime drive by the law enforcing agencies started.