How Australia returnee's Bangladesh dream was foiled by Sitakunda public rep

Md Tamjid Rahman, 35, a resident of Chattogram's Satkania and a chartered accountant by profession, left behind a comparatively luxurious life in Australia for Bangladesh to do something for his country. 

It was a dream shared by many expatriates like him; the motherland's call was too much to ignore. 

His focus was Bangladesh's lucrative garments industry. 

Putting together $20 million using his own hard-earned savings and investments from different Australian companies as investment, he returned to Bangladesh.

In January, he bought two-and-a-half acres of land in Sitakunda upazila, where he began work to set up a factory named Jannat Polytex Industries. 

The factory was being equipped to employ 500 and bring in crores of taka in exchange for exports of garments and garments accessories. 

He had already spent Tk7 crore in various works, including the purchase of land, filling of earth, erecting the boundary wall and for the primary phase of constructing his factory.

This is where his feel-good story grinded to a halt. That's where the dream began to tear at the edges.

Tamjid's troubles began when three different groups came to get the earth-filling work. 

As anyone would, Tamjid gave the work to the lowest bidder. The two others jilted then organised and demanded a Tk2 fee per cubic foot of sand.

This consortium was led by local union council member Khairul Bashar, Tamjid alleged.

And this entire deal was implicitly approved by Barbabkundua Union Parishad Chairman Sadakat Ullah Miyaji, he further claimed. 

The demands were only the first part of Tamjid's trial by fire on doing business in the country. 

The worst was yet to come.

Nightmare at Sitakunda

A recorded conversation, shared by Tamjid, allegedly between his elder brother and Khairul Bashar, gives insight into what was going on.

In the conversation, the person purported to be Bashar can be heard demanding the Tk2 fee or taking up the matter with the local chairman.

Bashar mentioned it was in Tamjid's best interests to discuss the matter with him or face grave danger.

On 24 June, around 9pm, four people – Sahabuddin, Sajjad, Liton and Alauddin – tried to force their way into the Jannat Polytex Industries' factory premises. 

Caretaker Sajjadul Islam came out to stop them. He was then beaten up and threatened, prompting the filing of a general diary with the local police station the same day.

Then, at 4pm on 4 November – by when Jannat Polytex had been awarded a trade licence and a green certificate – some men blocked the road to the factory, beat up and abused Sajjad, alongside the factory's security guard and the civil engineer. 

At one point, they even hacked the security guard, leaving him in a bloody mess.

The engineer, meanwhile, had three fingers cut to the bone.

Upon information, police arrived at the scene and made one arrest.

When Tamjid filed a case the next day, the security guard was scared off – there was no record of him explaining what happened to him. 

Alongside these, a concerted propaganda had begun.

At a protest meeting held in the area, UP Chairman Sadakat Ullah Miyaji and UP member Khairul Bashar spoke as chief guests and special guests.

"At the meeting, they called my organisation nameless and a terrorist one. This shocked me. I never imagined that the public representatives would prevent the establishment of industrial factories like this. I wouldn't have invested there if I knew that."

Ominous obstacles

By this time, Tamjid's investors had begun to wash their hands of the entire affair.

Tamjid said his ordeal showed that this was a bad time for investing in the future of Sitakunda's industrial area. 

"If this extortion cannot be stopped, domestic and foreign investors will turn away from investment," he said.

Contacted, UP member of ward-9 Khairul Bashar refused to comment on the matter.

"The chairman is aware of this and if you talk to him, you will know the details."

Barbakunda Union Parishad Chairman Sadakat Ullah Miyaji, however, told The Business Standard that there were some misunderstandings, which were resolved.

"The factory was using vehicles weighing 30-40 tonnes, which damaged the roads and angered the locals. There were also some issues noticed in the drains," he said.

Asked about the extortion allegations, he admitted that it happened, but added that Bashar had been warned over the matter.

He, however, claimed that he had no involvement with the issue.

Asked about the alleged protest meeting, he said the factory was not harmful, although he had made a post from his personal Facebook account where he had referred to it as "nameless and harmful to the environment".

On the attacks on Jannat Polytex employees, he blamed the locals.

When asked about this matter, OC (Investigation) of Sitakunda Police Station Abu Sayeed said the owner of the factory had filed a case against six accused in the incident. 

"We have arrested one. The operation to arrest the rest is continuing. Also, although there is an industrial police force for the security and protection of the officers and employees of the industrial establishments, we are active as police."