Dhaka North, Gono Odhikar trade allegations over protest to remove Administrator Azaz

The Dhaka North City Corporation has accused Gono Odhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Nur of inciting unrest after a contractor he allegedly recommended was not awarded a project.

However, rejecting the allegations, Gono Odhikar, in a counterclaim, said Dhaka North Administrator Mohammad Azaz is spreading false messages against Nur to divert public attention from his own allegations and even approached the party , directly and indirectly, with financial offers to postpone yesterday's protest programme.

In a statement issued by its Public Relations Office today (21 May), the city corporation claimed, "Nur personally called Additional Chief Engineer Mohammad Arifur Rahman on 18 May, asking to assign a public project to a contractor of his [Nur] choice."

"The additional chief engineer explained the legal aspects of the Public Procurement Act and Public Procurement Rules to him and tried to make him understand that there is no scope for doing anything beyond the law.

"However, Nurul Haque did not listen to him and pressured the engineer to assign the work [to his preferred contractor] while also threatening to lock the Dhaka North office."

The press statement further alleged that due to not adhering to his requests, Nur started a protest in front of the Dhaka South Nagar Bhaban in Gulshan-2 under the banner of his party Gono Odhikar Parishad, yesterday (20 May), which disrupted the city corporation's services.

Earlier yesterday, Gono Odhikar Parishad issued a 48-hour ultimatum asking the government to remove and arrest Dhaka North Administrator Mohammad Azaz, over alleged involvement in various corrupt activities while associated with the banned Awami League and the banned fundamentalist outfit Hizb ut-Tahrir.

The ultimatum was announced by the party's Senior Vice President Farooq Hasan during a protest rally in front of the Dhaka North headquarters last afternoon.

If the demand is not met within the deadline, the party, led by Nur, has threatened to besiege the chief adviser's residence in Jamuna on 24 May.

Nur couldn't reach over the phone for a comment in this regard immediately.

"Azaz spreading false messages against Nur to divert public attention from his own allegations': Gono Odhikar alleges

However, in a press statement issued later tonight, the Gono Odhikar rejected the allegations brought against Nur, claiming the allegations are completely false, fabricated and baseless.

The party once again alleged that Dhaka North Administrator Mohammad Azaz was involved with the banned outfit Hizb ut-Tahrir, terrorism and hence, he cannot hold such an important position

"Mohammad Azaz's involvement in Hizb ut-Tahrir and terrorist activities, as well as his arrest in 2015 on the same charges, was recently highlighted in a Facebook post by Al Jazeera's investigative journalist Zulkar Nain Saer. Based on this clear evidence, the Dhaka Metropolitan Gono Odhikar Parishad staged a protest in front of Dhaka North City Corporation, demanding the removal and arrest of Mohammad Azaz, giving a 48-hour ultimatum," the party said.

Regarding Dhaka North's allegations against Nur that he caused chaos in front of the Nagar Bhaban after his preferred contractor was not awarded the work, Gono Odhikar claimed, "This is completely false, baseless, and fabricated."

"Instead, despite participating in the tender process and being the highest bidder, a member of the Gono Odhikar Parishad was denied the work without commission," the party alleged.

"When this was brought to the attention of Administrator Mohammad Azaz, he advised informing the additional chief engineer about the matter. Following Mohammad Azaz's suggestion, Nurul Haque Nur conveyed the issue to him," it added.

Alleging that Azaz does not allocate any work without commission or to anyone other than his preferred individuals, Gono Odhikar also claimed, "Mohammad Azaz is spreading such false and misleading messages against Nurul Haque Nur... primarily to divert public attention from his own allegations.

"He even attempted to negotiate a settlement by sending several individuals, including his uncle, with financial offers to postpone yesterday's protest programme of Gono Odhikar. He himself made numerous calls to the leaders of Gono Odhikar, but the party did not suspend its programme."

During yesterday's protest, Gono Odhikar's Farooq Hasan alleged that until 2018, Azaz was an active and high-ranking leader of the banned organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir. "He was arrested multiple times for his involvement with the organisation. Later, he managed to get released and joined the Awami League."

He further alleged that from 2018 to 2023, Azaz was involved in various corrupt activities while associated with the Awami League. "He was involved in extortion, manipulation of tenders, and all sorts of political misconduct.

"Now, after the wave of protest movements, he has rebranded himself as a revolutionary and grabbed the administrator post through a secret deal with LGRD Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan," he claimed.

Issuing a direct threat, Hasan said, "We are giving this government and Adviser Asif Mahmud until Thursday. If Azaz is not removed and arrested by then, we will stage a massive protest in front of the chief adviser's residence in Jamuna on 24 May."

Earlier on 18 May, the Dhaka North City Corporation issued a statement denouncing recent allegations linking Administrator Azaz to the banned organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir, describing them as "entirely baseless and politically motivated."