Tangail ‘Khan clan’ loses kingdom

Local politicians and citizens claimed that the controversial ‘Khan Clan’ had lost their impact in Tangail politics. Once power house now is just a dead-elephant in district’s politics. Their names were erased from Tangail politics.

Lawmaker of Tangail-3 constituency Amanur Rahman Khan Rana and his three brothers –Jahidur Rahman Khan Kakon, former president of Chambers and Commerce in Tangail; Shahidur Rahman Khan Mukti, former mayor of Tangail municipality and former general secretary of Tangail City Unit of AL; and Saniat Khan Bappa, former vice-president of central unit of BCL, were the policy makers of the district politics. But now they are busy to save them from arrest. Among the brothers, MP Rana was in jail for his alleged connection with freedom fighter Farque murder where his three brothers are in run.

Locals alleged that the uncontrolled greed and power practice by the family members of the ‘Khan Clan’, led them to ruin.

On January 18, 2013, freedom fighter Faruk, also a district AL leader, was found dead. Later, a murder case was filed. MP Rana and his three younger brothers and 10 others were charge-sheeted over the murder.

Apart from this, the lawmaker Rana was wanted in 46 cases filed with several police stations in the district where Mukti was wanted in 36 cases, Kakon and Bappa were wanted in several cases including Farque murder and a BCL leader attempted to murder. To avoid their arrest in these cases, the three brothers have remained absconding since August 2014.

As all four brothers were absence in the field of politics, their rivals grabbed the power and later threw them out of politics.

Ruling Awami League (AL) lawmaker Rana was elected first in 2009. After his victory ‘Khan Clan’ had come in lime light. His three brothers had grabbed almost everything in the district. They had taken control over all the cream posts of social, political and business organisations.

Before the raise of MP Rana, Shahidur Rahman Khan Mukti was the mayor of Tangail municipality. When Rana became MP, he grabbed the posts of general secretary of Tangail City Unit of Awami League and Tangail District Labour Federation. Using these posts he engaged in mindless corruptions.

After Farque’s murder, Mukti fled from the scenes. On November 20, 2016, he left his office of mayor on a 90-day leave. Though his leave period had already finished, he did not return to his work station.  In the meantime, he lost his posts of general secretary in district unit of Awami League and District Labour Federation.

Before hiding, Kakon was the president of Chambers and Commerce in Tangail, president of Victoria Road Traders Society, general secretary of District Traders Alliance and secretary general of District Bus-Minibus Owners’ Society.

After his hiding, local Awami League leaders had distributed his regimes among them. In his absence, local Awami League leader Abul Kashem was elected president of Chambers and Commerce in Tangail, Talebur Rahman was selected the acting president of Victoria Road Traders Society, Mohammad Ali Jinnah grabbed the post of general secretary of District Traders Alliance where Golam Kibria Boro Moni was selected as secretary general of District Bus-Minibus Owners’ Society.

Bappa, the youngest brother of the ‘Khan Clan’ was the vice-president of Central Committee of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) before he went into hiding.

On October 18, 2015, Tangail district unit committee of Awami League in a convention had taken a decision to ban Khan Brothers from Awami League and its wings. Later they send a letter to central committee of Awami League in this regard.

Md Khorshed Alam Alias Khosru, treasurer of Tangail District Grill Makers Labour Society, said: “Shahidur Rahman Khan Mukti was the advisor of our organisation. He was not in present committee as he was on run.”

Joyaherula Islam, general secretary of district unit of Awami League, said: “The Khan Brothers were the kingpin of Tangail politics. They had tried to spread their regime in every corner of the district. To do that they did everything even killed some people. Now Tangail is free from Khan brothers’ and their gangs.”

He claimed: “Khan Brothers’ names were erased from district politics and social organisations.”