Talking to people from different walks of life during my visit to Feni revealed that Nizam’s rise started in 2011 when he became Feni Paurshwa Mayor. He became the undeclared ‘ruler’ of Feni after being elected General Secretary of the District Awami League in 2012. He installed his loyal followers as public representatives at various levels of local government from Union Parishad to Upazila Parishad.
At a time when Nizam Hazari had become a ‘godfather’, Fulgazi upazila chairman Ekramul Haq was also an influential leader. Ekram played an important role in cornering his ‘guru’ Zainul Hazari and organizing the party cadre force there. Ekram was openly dismembered, set on fire and killed in the town of Feni on 20 May 2014. Since then Nizam established his sole control over the party and took over government development tenders there.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, a police officer who served for two years as Additional Superintendent of Police in Feni, he said Nizam Hazari’s control over smuggling across the Feni border, tender control, extortion in the transport sector, legal and illegal sand But there was a monopoly. Jama (Balumohal) and the entire crime world of the district. Without his permission, no action could be taken against anyone else’s misdeeds.
The last criminal incident carried out by Nizam and his associates was on August 4 when they opened indiscriminate fire during a student protest, killing 9 people. That morning, Nizam Hazari himself took to the streets along with party workers to suppress the movement. By afternoon their cadres started firing on the protesters. Till now no important cadre or armed person has been caught.