Advisor of military backed interim government admits corruption

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
Most controversial advisor in the military backed interim government in Bangladesh; Barrister Moinul Hussain has admitted corruption and irregularities. According to vernacular daily Amader Shomoy, Moinul has indirectly made confessional statements on various allegations brought against him in a letter sent to newspapers in the country.

Series of allegations on various forms of corruption, nepotism and irregularities are becoming public in recent weeks against this man. It may be mentioned here that, during the rule of interim government, while most of the newspapers, including Amader Shomoy were busy in praising the government and people like Barrister Moinul, Weekly Blitz was the only newspaper, which serialized several reports on his corruption and nepotism.

It may be mentioned here that, Moinul Hussain appointed Syed Tosharraf as his official staff in the ministry violating rule. According to government rules, no one can hold any official position if he or she continues to hold any other profitable position in the country. But, Syed Tosharraf was equally holding the position of editor of Weekly Robber [a vernacular newsmagazine published by Moinul´s wife] while he served as the official staff of Moinul in the ministry receiving salary and other benefits from the national exchequer.

Moinul´s son was busy in getting a broadcast license for a private television channel using his father´s influence being the advisor in charge of information ministry. Moinul Hussain prepared a list of 1608 journalists and writers in Bangladesh terming them as ´non journalist´ and instructed the Press & Information Department to refrain from issuing press accreditation cards in their favor. It is learnt that, Moinul took this initiative at the suggestion of some of his close aides and sycophants to undermine the image of some leading journalists and reporters in the country.

Barrister Moinul Hussain, while commenting on the assassination of Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto [hours after her assassination] told Bangladeshi media that, Bangladesh was not a party in war on terror. He harshly criticized Pakistan´s joining the war on terror and combating Islamist militancy.

Although the military backed interim government demolished several buildings in the country with the allegation of construction without permission, Barrister Moinul´s commercial complex at Dhaka´s Kakrail area named ´Musafir Tower´ was left untouched, despite the fact that this building was construction without any permission from the authorities concerned.


Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has strictly instructed her party leaders to refrain from making any comments against post 1/11 [January 11, 2007] interim government as well as the former army chief General Moin U Ahmed. It was already rumored that the interim government and the former chief of army was serving the purpose of Awami League and played key role in bringing this party in power through ´digital rigging´ of votes. Sheikh Hasina also many a times admitted in public that the military backed interim government was a result of their movement against the then elected government.

With the exposure of corruption of several advisors in the interim government as well as Prime Minister´s ´interesting´ instructions to her party-men, law and order situation in Bangladesh is in its ever worst state. On Friday [June 26, 2009] three businessmen were killed in broad day light by the members of professional extortionist group at Dhaka´s Kawranbazar commercial area.

According to media reports, extortionists mostly sheltered by the ruling party demanded TK. 200,000 [US$ 3,000] from the fruit merchants of Kawranbazar area. The matter was immediately brought into the attention of law enforcing agencies as well as Rapid Action Battalion [RAB]. But, none of the law enforcing agencies ever took any steps in either nabbing the terrorists or even giving protection to the traders. As a result, the killers came in a van on Friday noon and mercilessly murdered three businessmen thus injuring another one and left the spot without any hassle.

Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun repeatedly admitted that law and order situation in the country was quickly deteriorating. She warned the members of law enforcing agencies to remain vigilant against any form of crime in the country. Despite such warnings from the minister, there is no sign of any improvement of the situation. Rather, the entire country is gradually going inside grips of terrorists, extortionists and hooligans, most of who belong to the ruling party itself.
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Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is an award winning anti Jihadist Muslim journalist in Bangladesh.
He is the editor of Weekly Blitz. This newspaper has both print and online edition reaching mostly policymakers, politicians, entrepreneurs, students, think tanks, civil and millitary officials, clergies and cross section of people in the world.
Weekly Blitz is the largest and most infleutial English language newspaper published in Bangladesh. Online edition of the only anti Jihadist newspaper in the Muslim world is available on www.weeklyblitz.net
Journalist, writer, poet, lyrist, author, political analyst and peace activist, Choudhury, started his career in journalism in 1989 as the Correspondent of TASS, state news agency of Soviet Union. Later he was promoted as the Chief Correspodent of Itar-Tass in Bangladesh.
On November 29, 2003, he was arrested at Zia International Airport in Bangladesh on his way to Israel to attend a peace conference. Choudhury was tortured, imprisoned and denied medical treatment in prison. Government brought sedition, treason and blasphemy charges against him for confronting religious extremism, advocating inter-faith dialogue and demanding relations between Dhaka and Jerusalem. He was released on April 30, 2005 after imprisonment of seventeen months. Although released on bail, Choudhury continues to face sedition, treason and blasphemy charges and the trial continues in a court in Dhaka. Sedition bears capital punishment [death penalty] according to law in Bangladesh.
Choudhury is the recipient of PEN USA Freedom to Write Award in 2005; American Jewish Committee's Moral Courage Award in 2006; Monaco Media Award in 2007 and Key to Englewood City [NJ, USA] in 2007.
He has written a number of books on various issues. His book titled 'Injustice and Jihad' was published in October 2007. Italian publication house Neftasia Editore has published Choudhury's book titled 'Non Sono Colpevole' in May 2008.
Choudhury's latest book titled 'Inside Madrassa', which contains descriptive and elaborate information on condition of Madrassas in Bangladesh, Pakistan and other Muslim nations has been published in October 2009. This book is a result of comprehensive research by Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury for several years. Interested people can buy a copy of this book by contacting Blitz Publications, ediblitz@yahoo.com
In today's world, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is perhaps the most quoted Bangladeshi journalist in the international media.
The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Sun, The Washington Times, The Australian, The Berliner Zeitung, The Jewish State, The Jewish Week, The Guardian and many other leading international and regional dailies and periodicals have published numerous editorials on Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury.
Office of Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury's newspaper, Weekly Blitz was bombed by Islamist millitants in Dhaka [Bangladesh] in July 2006.
On October 5, 2006, armed terrorists attacked the his office and physically assaulted him.
On 18th March 2008, members of Rapid Action Battalion [infamous of extra-judicial murders] abducted Mr. Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury at gun point from his office. He was blind-folded and physically assaulted. Because of quick actions by US Peace Activist Dr. Richard L Benkin and Rep. Mark Steven Kirk and other esteemed members of United States Congress, Choudhury escaped RAB's deathtrap.
On February 22, 2009, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury's newspaper office was once again attacked by the armed thugs belonging to ruling party. He and his staffs were physically assaulted and the attackers looted his laptop along with two manuscripts of his un-published books.
US Congress, European Parliament, Australian Senate passed resolutions demanding dropping of the false case of Mr. Choudhury and to give him proper security and stop all forms of harrassments. But, Bangladeshi authorities in Dhaka, instead of showing minimum respect to such calls, withdrew police protection from the residence of Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury in May 2008.
Shoaib Choudhury is a permanent member of PENUSA; Advisory Board Member of Islam-Israel Fellowship; Director, Forcefield NFP.
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is regularly invited by many prestigious institutions in the world for giving lecture on the topic of his work. Yale University [New Haven, USA], Rutgers University [New Jersey, USA] and Hudon Institute [NYC] invited Choudhury to give lectures during October and November 2009.