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Hasan Mahmud (politician)

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Hasan Mahmud
হাছান মাহমুদ
Mahmud in 2024
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
11 January 2024 – 6 August 2024
Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina
Preceded byAK Abdul Momen
Succeeded byMd. Touhid Hossain
Member of Parliament
In office
7 January 2014 – 6 August 2024
Preceded byMoin Uddin Khan Badal
ConstituencyChittagong-7
In office
29 December 2008 – 6 January 2014
Preceded byA.B.M. Fazle Karim Chowdhury
Succeeded byA.B.M. Fazle Karim Chowdhury
ConstituencyChittagong-6
Minister of Information and Broadcasting
In office
7 January 2019 – 10 January 2024
Preceded byHasanul Haq Inu
Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
In office
29 November 2011 – 24 January 2014
Preceded byChowdhury Sajjadul Karim
Succeeded byAnwar Hossain Manju
Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change
In office
1 August 2009 – 28 November 2011
Preceded byJafrul Islam Chowdhury
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
8 January 2009 – 31 July 2009
Preceded byIftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury
Succeeded byShahriar Alam
Personal details
Born
Hasan Mahmud

(1963-06-05) 5 June 1963 (age 61)
Chittagong, East Pakistan, Pakistan
NationalityBangladeshi
Political partyBangladesh Awami League
Alma mater
Criminal Information
Criminal statusFugitive, at large
Criminal chargeCrimes against humanity during Student–People's uprising, corruption, extortion, embezzlement

Hasan Mahmud (born 5 June 1963) is a member of the Awami League and one of the key perpetrators of the July massacre orchestrated and executed by Sheikh Hasina's toppled regime.[1][2][3][4] He is currently wanted by Bangladesh Police for his involvement in crimes against humanity during the Student–People's uprising of 2024.[5][6][7]

He is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs for the toppled Hasina regime, and a former Member of Parliament from Chittagong-7.[8][9] In 2019, he was appointed as the Minister of Information and Broadcasting for the fourth Hasina ministry.

Criminal Background

[edit]

Mahmud is accused of involvement in a murder case related to the death of Mohammad Alam, who was shot during a procession celebrating former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation on August 5.[10] The case was filed by Md Jamal Uddin, the victim's brother, and names Hasan Mahmud, along with former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel and others, as part of a group of 525 individuals accused in the incident. The case statement alleges that the accused, under the direction of Nowfel and Hasan Mahmud, attacked the procession and opened fire, resulting in Alam being shot in the head. He was subsequently taken to Chittagong Mother and Child Hospital and Medical College, where he was pronounced dead. The police have registered the case and are conducting an investigation.[11]

In addition to crimes against humanity during the Student–People's uprising, Mahmud is currently involved in three separate legal cases filed in Chittagong, which include a total of 83 individuals. Among those named as prime accused are Mahmud, his daughter Nafisa Zumaina Mahmud and his brother Ershad Mahmud. The first case, filed by Harun Rashid Prakash, accuses Nafisa Zumaina Mahmud, along with nine named individuals and 30 unidentified individuals, of land grabbing through intimidation.[12]

The second case, initiated by Md Osman, names Dr. Hasan Mahmud and 31 others as accused of extortion, with 12 unnamed individuals also included. The court has ordered an investigation by the Rangunia police in this matter. The third case, filed by Kamal Uddin, charges Dr. Hasan Mahmud and 42 others, including his brother Ershad Mahmud, with assault resulting in grievous injuries to the plaintiff.[13]

These cases were filed with the Chattogram Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, and the magistrate's clerk, Zainal Abedin, confirmed the filings. The plaintiffs have indicated that they were previously unable to file cases against the accused due to their wealth and influence. The current legal actions represent an effort to seek justice in light of the alleged offenses. These cases are ongoing, and further developments are expected as investigations proceed.[14]

Early life

[edit]

Hasan Mahmud was born on 5 June 1963 in Chittagong. He completed his bachelor's and master's in chemistry from the University of Chittagong in 1987 and 1989 respectively.[15] He completed a second masters from Vrije Universiteit Brussel in environmental science in 1996.[16] He earned his PhD in environmental chemistry from Transnational University Limburg in 2001.[16]

Career

[edit]

In 1977, Mahmud joined the Bangladesh Chhatra League, an enlisted terrorist group.[17] By 1988, he was the president of the Chittagong University unit of this group and was involved in campus control for Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu.

From 1996 to 2001, he acted as the political and parliamentary affairs adviser to then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.[18] In 2001, he became special assistant to the opposition leader, Sheikh Hasina, and later took on the role of secretary for environment and forest affairs in the Awami League.

Mahmud was a member of the Jatiya Sangsad for the Chittagong-6 constituency from 2008 to 2014, securing 101,340 votes, defeating Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who received 72,073 votes.

In January 2009, he was appointed state minister for foreign affairs in Sheikh Hasina's cabinet but was shifted to state minister for environment and forests six months later. By November 2011, he was promoted to full minister of environment and forest, a position he held until the end of 2013.[19][20]

In 2014, he was in Chittagong-7 during an uncontested election, as the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, chose to boycott the election. He secured his position again in 2018, receiving 217,155 votes, while his closest rival from the Liberal Democratic Party got only 6,065 votes.

In September 2022, Mahmud was nominated to the Awami League Local Government Public Representative Nomination Board. In October 2022, Md Mokbul Hossain, the secretary at the Information Ministry under him, was forced into retirement.

Corruption

[edit]

During Mahmud's tenure as Environment minister from 2009 to 2013, multiple allegations of corruption surfaced involving the allocation of climate change funds. The Bangladesh chapter of Transparency International provided with credible allegations of political influence and nepotism in distributing contracts in climate change related projects, and corruption in selecting NGOs to operate the ground works.[21] The corruption in climate projects awarded during his tenure was subject of SOAS University of London's study on corruption.[22] According to a BBC Bengali report, Hasan Mahmud acknowledged the corrupt practices and downplayed it as "comparatively less than before".[23]

On 6 August 2024, Mahmud attempted to flee to Delhi, India after Sheikh Hasina's resignation as prime minister the previous day during the Non-cooperation movement (2024) but was intercepted and detained at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.[24] On 11 August, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) ordered banks to freeze all accounts of Mahmud, his wife, Nurun, and their daughter, Nafisa.[25][26] But on September 6, The Business Standard reported that he fled to Belgium via Germany after the fall of Hasina regime. [27]

Personal life

[edit]

Mahmud is married to Nurun Fatema Hasan.[28] They have a daughter, Nafisa Zumaina Mahmud.[26] Nafisa is the chairperson of Green TV, a Bangladeshi Bengali-language satellite and cable television channel.[29]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Bangladesh mourns some 200 deaths as student protests wind down and thousands are arrested". AP News. 31 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Case filed against Hasan Mahmud, Nowfel over autorickshaw driver's shooting in Chattogram". Case against Hasan Mahmud, Nowfel in Chattogram. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  3. ^ admin (29 August 2024). "Case against former foreign minister Hasan Mahmood and his daughter". The Crime BD. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  4. ^ "Nowfel, Hasan Mahmud sued over murder". The Daily Star. 24 September 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  5. ^ Report, Star Digital (6 August 2024). "Hasan Mahmud held at Dhaka airport". The Daily Star. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Three cases filed against Hasan Mahmud, his daughter in Ctg". The Financial Express. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  7. ^ Sun, Daily. "Hasan Mahmud's rampant land grabbing". daily-sun. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  8. ^ "List of 10th Parliament Members". Bangladesh Parliament. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  9. ^ "47-member new cabinet announced". The Daily Star. 6 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  10. ^ "Nowfel, Hasan Mahmud sued over murder". The Daily Star. 24 September 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Nowfel, Hasan Mahmud sued over murder". The Daily Star. 24 September 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Three cases filed against Hasan Mahmud, his daughter in Ctg". The Financial Express. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  13. ^ "Three cases filed against Hasan Mahmud, his daughter in Ctg". The Financial Express. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  14. ^ "Three cases filed against Hasan Mahmud, his daughter in Ctg". The Financial Express. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Profile Of Ministers". The Daily Star. 9 January 2009. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  16. ^ a b "Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)". BSS. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Chhatra League banned". The Daily Star. 24 October 2024. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  18. ^ Azad, M. Abul Kalam; Hasan, Rashidul (29 November 2011). "Two of the old guard made ministers". The Daily Star. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  19. ^ Tusher, Hasan Jahid; Hasan, Rashidul; Habib, Wasim Bin (13 January 2014). "Many go, a few stay". The Daily Star. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  20. ^ "Hasina chooses 25 novice ministers, makes personal physician foreign minister - Thaindian News". web.archive.org. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  21. ^ Md Mahfuzul Haque; M Zakir Hossain Khan; Mohua Rouf (2013). Climate Finance in Bangladesh: Governance Challenges and Way Out. Transparency International Bangladesh. doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.24481.86887. ISBN 978-984-33-7990-0.
  22. ^ Khan, M.; Watkins, Michael T.; Aminuzzaman, S.; Khair, S.; Khan, Muhammad Zakir Hossain (2020). "Climate change investments in Bangladesh: leveraging dual-use characteristics as an anti-corruption tool". S2CID 231968242.
  23. ^ জলবায়ু তহবিল নিয়ে দুর্নীতি. BBC News বাংলা (in Bengali). 30 April 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  24. ^ "Hasan Mahmud detained at Dhaka airport". Dhaka Tribune. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  25. ^ "Regulator orders freeze on bank accounts of Hasan Mahmud, family members". The Daily Star. 11 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  26. ^ a b "সাবেক মন্ত্রী হাছান মাহমুদ, স্ত্রী ও মেয়ের সব ব্যাংক হিসাব জব্দের নির্দেশ". Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 11 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  27. ^ "Has ex-FM Hasan Mahmud fled to Belgium?". The Business Standard. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  28. ^ Tusher, Hasan Jahid; Hasan, Rashidul; Bin Habib, Wasim (13 January 2014). "Many go, a few stay". The Daily Star. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  29. ^ "জমকালো আয়োজনে গ্রিন টিভির যাত্রা শুরু". Prothomalo (in Bengali). 19 May 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
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