Fahmi Gulandaz Babel: the ‘arrogant’ political heir

Like many former Awami League MPs, Fahmi Gulandaz Babel of Mymensingh is being investigated for corruption allegations. Locals, however, singled him out as an "arrogant" politician who resorted to torture and intimidation to suppress dissent or maintain control.

Babel's name did not come up in Mymensingh's politics much, although his father, Altaf Hossain Gulandaz, was a three-time Awami League MP. After Altaf's death in 2007, as his political heir, Babel became the chairman of Gafargaon upazila council in 2009 before being elected MP from Mymensingh-10 (Gafargaon) in 2014.

Then he made headlines several times for allegedly using muscle power and torturing opposition leaders and rivals in his party to maintain control of his father's political and business empire.

During a recent visit, the MP's family home in the Bagua area of Saltia union was found deserted, as Babel and his family members went into hiding after the fall of the Awami League regime.

The debris is scattered here and there as a group of unknown people ransacked, torched, and looted the house on September 7.

Some locals alleged Babel used to torture his rivals in the house while some others denied the allegations, but all of them agreed that Babel's behaviour was "audacious".

The Anti-Corruption Commission on January 16 filed two cases against Babel and his wife Sharmeen Gulandaz for amassing illicit wealth worth over Tk 20 crore and Tk 1 crore, respectively. They also allegedly engaged in suspicious transactions worth Tk 60.98 crore and $1.71 lakh through 16 bank accounts.

FORCING RIVALS OUT

Iqbal Hossain Sumon, who had been known as a follower of Babel, was elected mayor of Gafargaon municipality with all-out support of the former MP in 2021.

But Babel's wrath became a nightmare for Sumon just one year later, when one of Sumon's friends wished on Facebook that he wanted to see Sumon as the MP in the future.

Sumon's supporters were attacked, and within a month, the mayor was forced to leave Gafargaon for Dhaka.

Sumon could not return home until the fall of the AL regime. Since he was an AL leader, local BNP activists beat him upon his return on August 19 last year. He was later handed over to police.

Babel's men also allegedly did not allow Captain (retd) Gias Uddin Ahmed, who was MP until 2014, to live in his house in the Imamabri area. When Giasuddin's wife Shahana Ahmed wanted to repair the house in March 2022, months before his death, Babel's men allegedly obstructed her. Babel later denied any link to the incident.

Gafargaon municipal BNP Convener Md Fazlul Haque said he was among many who left their areas after attacks by Babel's supporters.

Syed Asaduzzaman Sohel, former upazila correspondent for Jai Jai Din, said he was forced to leave Gafargaon with his family in 2019 after Babel had threatened to kill him for his report on a short-term programme for employment for the poorest.

"I was under serious threat as the MP asked police to arrest me on false extortion charges. The newspaper also sacked me, leaving me in frustration and fear," said Sohel, who returned home on August 5 last year.

Ibne Azad Komol, a leader of the BNP's student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, was killed in an alleged attack by AL men on September 8, 2014.

Komol's father Abul Kalam Azad alleged he had to struggle hard to lodge a case because of Babel's interference. When Kalam was able to file the case with Gafargaon Police Station on September 11, the original list of 20 accused was shortened to three due to pressure from the MP, the father said.

The three accused -- Shahabul Islam, member of upazila AL and chairman of Rauna union parishad; Rauna union Jubo League member Biplob; and Gafargaon Govt College BCL unit's member Rafsan -- were close aides to the MP.

"The MP's men pressured me hard to withdraw the case, which I was forced to do after six months. Now I am preparing to file the case again accusing all the persons involved in the killing of my son," said Kalam.

EXTORTION, SAND EXTRACTION

Babel and his men have controlled the construction and sand businesses in the upazila for the last 15 years. Without Babel's permission, no one was allowed to do any work and he allegedly took 10 percent commission from every tender bid, said a senior contractor preferring not to be named.

The contractor said he along with some other senior contractors were called to Babel's house in 2014 and the MP and his men made it clear that they must pay the commission if they did not want any trouble.

"I was among nine senior contractors who left Gafargoan for Mymensingh city that year. Later, the contractors loyal to the MP enjoyed all the tenders in the last 15 years."

Babel also took control of a 40-kilometre stretch of the Old Brahmaputra banks. His men extracted sand from the area and sold it to extend the fortune his father had made.

Over 1,000 vehicles carried sand from the area every day while Babel's men collected Tk 200-600 per vehicle, locals said.

Due to indiscriminate sand lifting by the MP's men for more than a decade, crop land of many farmers were damaged in several villages, including Joyarchar, Char Algi and Saltia, on both sides of Brahmaputra.

Abdul Mannan Palton, a local journalist, alleged he was tortured by Babel's men when he protested sand lifting from the crop land at Joyarchar area on January 15, 2020. Palton's 14-acre land was damaged because of sand extraction.

"They were furious when we protested against illegal sand extraction. The MP himself came to the spot and forcibly took me to his house where I was confined for more than two hours," Palton said.

Khokon Sarker and Idris Ali Sarker, farmers of Char Algi, alleged they lost 6 acre crop land to sand lifting.

In his wealth statement submitted to the Election Commission in 2014, the MP's annual income was Tk 2,46,000 while he had Tk 4,86,000 in bank accounts and gold ornaments worth Tk 60,000.

After 10 years, in 2024, his annual income stood at over Tk 3 crore and bank savings at nearly Tk 12 crore. He also had around Tk 1.5 crore cash and 220 Bhori of gold.

Although there was no mention of gold ornaments in his wife Sharmeen Gulandaz's name in the 2014 affidavit, Babel said in the 2024 affidavit that Sharmeen owns 400 Bhori gold.