Shamsul Haque Bhuiyan, Gazipur Correspondent
Gazipur City Mayor Advocate Mohammad Jahangir Alam has lost his post in the political party due to controversial remarks on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the martyrs of the Liberation War. Mayor Jahangir Alam is seeking an opportunity to apologize to the Prime Minister for this incident. His followers say the mayor should be kept in office to keep the development work ongoing. Opposition groups called for a halt to the protests, saying “the prime minister’s announcement is groundbreaking.”
A video clip of Mayor Jahangir Alam’s remarks about Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in a private meeting went viral last September. From then on, the leaders and activists of his opposition camp took to the streets to protest. That is why on October 3, the central committee of the Awami League gave him a notice to show cause. Mayor Jahangir, general secretary of Gazipur metropolitan Awami League, responded to the notice before the 15-day deadline. But the central committee of the Awami League expressed dissatisfaction with the response of Mayor Jahangir. At an Awami League executive meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday afternoon, Mayor Jahangir Alam was expelled from the post of general secretary of the metropolitan Awami League and the party’s general members were suspended for life.
Leaders and activists of his opposition camp expressed happiness over the expulsion of Mayor Jahangir Alam for his controversial remarks. Metropolitan Awami League President Advocate Azmat Ullah Khan described the announcement as groundbreaking. At the same time, he said, there could be a sedition case against Jahangir and a case under the Digital Security Act. “We will appeal to the highest echelons of the Awami League to take legal action against Jahangir at the earliest.” Leaders and activists of the Awami League under the leadership of Motiur Rahman Moti, joint general secretary of the metropolitan Awami League, held separate joyous processions on Friday night and Saturday, setting off fireworks and distributing sweets in different areas of the metropolis.
On the other hand, Mayor Jahangir Alam and his fans, including the general public, requested to keep him in office to continue the development activities. Leaders and activists from all walks of life gathered at the mayor’s residence in the hurricane area on Saturday morning. At this time many people broke down in tears. Councilors and activists following Mayor Jahangir also came to his residence and gathered a crowd and offered peace to Mayor Jahangir.
Men and women from different parts of the metropolis came in procession to his residence. Unable to bear the tears of these people, Mayor Jahangir shrugged his shoulders. He also spoke in a tearful voice as he spoke to reporters.
City Mayor Jahangir Alam called a press conference at his residence on Saturday in response to the expulsion order. At the time, he described himself as a victim of conspiracy, saying that the Awami League, Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were present throughout his existence. He pleaded with the Prime Minister to give him a chance to apply for a review of his deportation order, saying he had done nothing wrong.
Mayor Mohammad Jahangir Alam said, “After birth, I listened to my parents and joined Awami League and Chhatra League from the time I was studying in high school.The general secretary of the college and Bangladesh Chhatra League has nominated me as VP three times. I have served in district and central student leagues. In 2008, the Awami League nominated me for the post of Upazila Vice Chairman. In 2016, I was appointed as the General Secretary of the Metropolitan Awami League and in 2016, the Prime Minister nominated me for the post of Mayor. Today I am standing here to apologize to the townspeople. With the help of the Prime Minister, I have removed 32,000 houses and taken away 8,000 bighas of land from the people to build roads and highways, which has no precedent in any other city. There are over 800 kilometers of roads here. Some people have given false, fabricated information in my name about street lands. In the audio that has been released in my name, the words of the people have been cut off and the original words have been played in my name. They did the job to put me in an unfavorable situation. But throughout my existence I have Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Awami Leaguein all my existence.Prime Minister is my guardian and I will accept her decision.”
Jahangir was also expelled from the post of primary member of the Awami League at a meeting of the central executive committee of the Awami League yesterday. It is also recommended that legal action be taken against him.
