Bangladeshi brothel beer sales probe; union leader sacked
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RAJBARI, Bangladesh – A local labor party leader in Rajbari, Bangladesh, has been suspended from all party activities following the circulation of an audio recording on social media in which he allegedly admits to involvement in a beer trade within a well-known brothel area.
The decision was announced Wednesday by the Goaland Upazila unit of the Shramik Dal, the labor wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The suspended official, Sumon Mollah, held the position of vice-president of the Goaland Upazila Shramik Dal.
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The party’s dismissal letter, signed by the Upazila Shramik Dal president and general secretary, cited Mollah’s admission of engaging in the beer business in the Daulatdia brothel area, as captured in the widely shared audio. The party stated that this admission caused public outrage and damaged the organization’s reputation.
In a related development, Zahid Sardar, the joint convener of the Daulatdia Union Jubo Dal, the youth wing of the BNP, has been issued a show-cause notice. The notice, signed by the convener and member-secretary of the Upazila Jubo Dal, cites alleged anti-organizational activities and moral degradation. Sardar is required to respond to the allegations within a specified timeframe.
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Mollah, reached for comment, stated the beer business admission was made in a conversation with a lawyer and that he is not involved with any kind of drugs, let alone beer in the brothel area. He questioned the authority of the Upazila committee to suspend him and declared his intention to step away from politics altogether.
According to Upazila Shramik Dal president Sarowar Hossain Molla, an emergency meeting was held Tuesday night where the decision to suspend Mollah was made unanimously. The committee also resolved to recommend his permanent expulsion to the district committee.
The controversy began when a lawyer named Mokim Mondal posted allegations on his Facebook page linking Mollah to drug dealing and illegal property acquisition in the Daulatdia brothel area. This was followed by the release of a nearly seven-minute audio recording of a conversation between Mollah and the lawyer, in which Mollah reportedly confessed to the beer business and mentioned three other individuals involved, though he did not name them.
The same audio reportedly implicated Zahid Sardar, along with two others named Jamal and Fazal, in the beer trade. The Jubo Dal has initiated an inquiry into Sardar’s alleged involvement, demanding an explanation for his actions. He has been asked to appear at the party office on May 3rd to present his defense.
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