Joynal Hazari

Joynal Abedin Hazari (known as Joynal Hazari) is a Bangladesh Awami League politician and a former member of Jatiya Sangsad from the Feni-2 constituency winning the elections held in 1986, 1991 and 1996.[1][2]

Joynal Hazari
জয়নাল হাজারী
Member of Parliament
for Feni-2
In office
20 March 1991 – 30 March 1996
Preceded byJoynal Abedin
In office
23 June 1996 – 15 July 2001
Succeeded byJoynal Abedin
Personal details
NationalityBangladeshi
Political partyBangladesh Awami League

Early life

Joynal Hazari is the son of Goni Hazari.[3] He was a student at Feni College when he got involved in politics in the late 1960s.[3]

Career

Hazari studied in Feni college where he joined politics. He served as the general secretary of the Feni district Awami League during 1984–2004.[4] Dubbed the "Godfather of Feni", he was accused of torture, extortion and murder during the term he was in power.[3][5][6] His relative Nizam Hazari is the current member of parliament from his old constituency.[6]

Hazari formed a steering committee with members drawn from his close accomplices in 1993.[7] He was first expelled from the party in April 2003 for creating chaos at a meeting in Feni in presence of the then party general secretary Abdul Jalil and also for working against the party-backed chairman candidate in the Sadar upazila election in the same year.[8] He was expelled from Awami League on 2 May 2005 for his involvement in anti-organisational activities.[9]

Hazari left the country to Kolkata, India on 16 Aug 2001 when the caretaker government came into power.[8][10] He was sentenced a total of 60 years' imprisonment in five cases in absentia.[8] He returned to Bangladesh in February 2009, soon after the Awami League government took power in January.[10] He surrendered to a Feni court on 15 April, and was imprisoned in Comilla jail. On 26 August the same year, among the total 23 cases, the High Court sentenced him bail in 11 cases and acquitted of the remaining 12 cases.[11] He was then freed him from prison.[11]

In 2012, Hazari met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganabhaban and handed over a letter seeking permission to be active in politics.[8] In September 2019, Hasina donated Tk 4 million for his medical expenses.[12]

Charges and convictions

Murder cases

As of 2014, according to Feni police, around 44 cases – mostly for murder – had been filed against Hazari since the 1970s.[3] He was first imprisoned in 1973 on charge of killing Nasir, a Chhatra Union leader.[3] He was sentenced to three years of imprisonment in Engineer Gias murder case.[3]

In April 2009, Hazari was acquitted by Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal (STT) of charges of killing four BNP activists at Sonagazi Upazila on 12 August 2001 and got bail from the court in Sujan murder case.[13][14]

Arms case

On 17 August 2001, a day after Hazari fled the country, Feni police raided his residence at Masterpara in Feni in his absence and recovered arms and ammunition including a rifle, two loaded revolvers, sub-machine gun magazine, 431 bullets, lethal weapons and contraband items including Viagra.[11] The police filed a case against him and his private secretary Farooq Hossain Mridha in this connection.[11] On 10 August 2003, the district and sessions judge in Feni convicted and sentenced both Hazari and Farooq to life imprisonment in the case.[11] On 26 August 2009, the High Court acquitted him of the case.[11]

Money laundering case

During the caretaker administration in 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case accusing Hazari of illegally acquiring wealth worth Tk 11.33 million, which were disproportionate to his known income sources.[15] Hazari's sister, Khodeza Begum, was arrested from her residence in October 2007 for this case.[16] On 27 November 2008, a Special Judge's Court of Dhaka sentenced him to 10 years' imprisonment on that case.[17] His plea for bail on this case was rejected on 15 April 2009 and he was imprisoned in Comilla jail.[14] On 18 July, he was granted bail on this case.[18] On 5 December 2011, the High Court acquitted him of the charge following an appeal challenging the lower court verdict.[17] And on 31 August 2015, the Supreme Court in turn cancelled the High Court verdict.[15]

Journalist Tipu Sultan torture case

On 15 April 2009, Hazari got bail from the court in the journalist Tipu Sultan torture case.[14]

Further information: Journalist Tipu Sultan assault case

Other cases

On 15 April 2009, Hazari got bail from indoor stadium demolishing case.[14]

Publications

Hazari owns a local news publication, Hazarika.[19] He published an autobiography Joynal Hazari Bolchhi in February 2010 in an event in Dhaka inaugurated by the writer Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury.[20][21]

gollark: *\\
gollark: */\/\/\/\/\/\/\*
gollark: PotatOS is the future.
gollark: Not *all*.
gollark: So much starring lately.

References
  1. "Nizam, Hazari trade blame". The Daily Star. 22 May 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  2. "List of 5th Parliament Members". Bangladesh Parliament. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  3. "Joynal Hazari, a name that still evokes fear". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  4. ফেনীতে দুই হাজারীর লড়াই. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  5. "Same Old Feni". The Daily Star. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  6. "One Hazari falls, another rises". The Daily Star. 27 May 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  7. "Joynal Hazari's steering committee captain Arju arrested". Dhaka Tribune. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  8. "Hazari back in scene". The Daily Star. 7 April 2012. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  9. "AL fires Hazari". The Daily Star. 3 May 2005. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  10. "Joynal Hazari freed". bdnews24.com. 2 September 2009. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  11. "Joynal Hazari acquitted of charges". The Daily Star. 27 August 2009.
  12. প্রধানমন্ত্রী ৪০ লাখ টাকার অনুদান দিলেন জয়নাল হাজারীকে. Bangladesh Pratidin (in Bengali). 6 September 2019. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  13. "Hazari acquitted of murder charges". The Daily Star. 9 April 2009. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  14. "Hazari sent to jail in money laundering case". The Daily Star. 16 April 2009. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  15. "Top court strikes down HC verdict acquitting Joynal Hazari, orders fresh hearing". bdnews24.com. 31 August 2015. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  16. "Hazari's sister Khodeza held in Feni". The Daily Star. 3 October 2007. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  17. "SC cancels Hazari's acquittal". The Daily Star. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  18. "HC grants bail to Hazari". The Daily Star. 19 July 2009. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  19. "Nizam points finger at Hazari". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  20. স্বাধীনতা পদক নিতে পারলে হাজারীর বইয়ের মোড়ক উন্মোচন নয় কেন. Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). 9 February 2010. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  21. হাজারীর বইয়ের প্রকাশনা অনুষ্ঠানে যা হলো. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 10 February 2010. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
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