The New Nation reported on Wednesday that a lawmaker from Feni, elected uncontested during last election put up more than 237 arches on Dhaka-Chittagong highway to give a lavish welcome to Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan as he was passing through the region on his way to Khagrachhari.
The lawmaker known for his cruelties apparently took advantage of the occasion to attract the minister’s protection as well as to demonstrate to the people his closeness to the Home Minister. We don’t know whether or not the minister found such lavish welcome comfortable, particularly by a person having hefty criminal records but he accepted the hospitality of the lawmaker.
It is not unusual that a local lawmaker will offer reception to a powerful minister but what is annoying to many here is the huge number of arches and lavish expenditure behind such colorful demonstrations. Known as terror of Feni the validity of the lawmaker’s membership to parliament is now under trial, besides he is accused of arms smuggling and gruesome murders including the killing of Phulgazi upazila chairman two years back. It is natural that such a person would try to endear the Home Minister and other powerful leaders but the question is whether such attempt would bring him impunity from and protection against his alleged crimes.
Media report said a High Court Division Bench recently expressed embarrassment to hearing the case challenging his membership to parliament. In fact he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in 2000 in an arms case but he escaped from the jail after serving five years imprisonment by producing fake bail documents. He became a lawmaker in 2014.
