Mohammad A. Arafat (born 2 May 1973)[2] is a Bangladeshi academic and politician. He is a former minister of state for information and broadcasting and a former Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Dhaka-17 constituency in 2023–2024.[3]

During his tenure, Arafat defended his government's response to the 2024 Bangladesh Quota Reform Movement, attributing the unrest to the involvement of third-party actors, including extremists group.[4] A OHCHR report found evidence of brutal and systematic repression by his government to repress the protests.[5] The Managing Director and CEO of the Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) alleged that Arafat directed the temporary suspension of broadcasts from four private television channels during the protests through a WhatsApp message. [6][7] He acknowledged concerns over the shooting of Abu Sayed, describing it as possibly unlawful, and stated that an independent judicial committee had been formed to investigate the incident.[8] He also affirmed his government's commitment to a transparent investigation into the violence during the quota reform movement.[9][10][11] He has been the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Crimes Tribunal on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide.[12]

Career

Arafat was born on 2 May 1973 to Habibun Nisa and Mohammad Setab Uddin in Rajshahi.[13][14]

Arafat is a syndicate member and chief advisor to the board of trustees of the Canadian University of Bangladesh.[14][15][16] Studied from Texas A&M University at Prairie View and Oklahoma State University.M Arafat holds advanced business degrees from Texas A&M University at Prairie View and Oklahoma State University.[17] He is the founder of Suchinta Foundation.[18] He endorsed Annisul Huq for the North Dhaka mayoral election.[19]

Arafat has called for stronger ties with India and allowing transshipment of goods.[20]

Arafat called Reza Kibria, a son of former finance minister Shah A M S Kibria, a traitor for complaining about the human rights situation in Bangladesh to the United States.[21] He criticized the United States for placing sanctions on the Rapid Action Battalion and described Gano Adhikar Parishad as a none threat to the Awami League government.[21]

Arafat was made a member of the Central Working Committee of the Awami League in December 2022.[22] In September 2022, the government of Bangladesh dismantled the existing trustee board of Manarat International University alleging it had links with Islamist militants and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.[23] Mayor of North Dhaka and Awami League politician Atiqul Islam was appointed chairman and Arafat was appointed a member of the newly created trustee board.[24]

Arafat is the chairman of the Dhaka-based nonprofit social-advocacy organisation, the Suchinta Foundation.[25][26] The foundation has, among others, done extensive advocacy work in poverty eradication in Bangladesh through entrepreneurship development.

Arafat is a two-time member of the Jatiya Sangsad, elected from the Dhaka-17 constituency as an Awami League nominee in the 11th and 12th parliaments respectively in the space of 5 months and both times without any competition from major opposition parties.[27][28] He is also a member of the Awami League's central working committee.[29]

Controversy

During the 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement, Arafat accused the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami of carrying out attacks to disrupt development efforts in Bangladesh and described some of the participants as "drugged".[30] He was part of a WhatsApp group with figures from the entertainment industry, who actively opposed the student movement. This group was called "Alo Ashbei," and was led by actor Ferdous Ahmed. Following the non-cooperation movement, screenshots from this WhatsApp group were leaked on social media on September 3, 2024, revealing discussions that included inflammatory remarks against the protesters.[31][32]

After the 2024 non-cooperation movement and the fall of the Sheikh Hasina led Awami League government, the 12th Jatiya Sangsad was dissolved on 6 August 2024; Mohammad lost both his membership in the Jatiya Sangsad and his ministerial position.[33] On 12 August, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit ordered all banks to freeze the accounts of Arafat and his wife, Sharmin Mustary.[34]

It has also been reported that he ordered the shutdown of private TV channels on many occasions during the 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement.[35][36]

He has been sued in a case concerning the death of Jagannath University student Ikramul Haque Sajid, who was shot during a protest in Dhaka's Mirpur-10 area.[37] On 20 August 2024, a case was filed against Arafat in connection with the death of a vegetable seller during the protests, and the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit subsequently requested banks to freeze Arafat's accounts amid ongoing investigations into his activities.[38] Despite media reports of his arrest on August 27, 2024, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police later clarified that they had no information confirming his apprehension.[39] The Dhaka Metropolitan Police couldn't find him after a raid in his Gulshan residence.[40] 54 criminal cases have been lodged against him.[41] The Anti-Corruption Commission found evidence of the former minister to have had a foreign citizenship during his time in office which is illegal for Member of Parliaments according to Article 66 of the Bangladesh Constitution.[42][43] Arafat has been named in a petition which seeks an investigation into genocide and crimes against humanity in the Bangladeshi International Crime Tribunal.[44] The International Crimes Tribunal has issued an arrest warrant for him[45] .

Personal life

Arafat married Shomi Kaiser, actress and daughter of Shahidullah Kaiser and Panna Kaiser, on 24 July 2008.[46][47] They divorced in 2015.[48][49] He later married Sharmin Mustary.[34]

References

  1. ^ "Confusion surrounds reported arrest of Arafat". 27 August 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ "M Arafat: From a teacher to state minister". Dhaka Tribune. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Winner". The Daily Star. 6 January 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Bangladesh minister defends gov't response to protests amid calls for probe". 25 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Bangladesh: UN report finds brutal, systematic repression of protests, calls for justice for serious rights violations". OHCHR. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  6. ^ ডেস্ক, বরিশালটাইমস (1 February 2025). "৪ টিভির সম্প্রচার বন্ধে চাপ দিয়েছিলেন আরাফাত | বরিশালটাইমস". Barishal Times | বরিশালটাইমস. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  7. ^ "দেশ টিভিসহ ৪ টিভি চ্যানেলের সম্প্রচার বন্ধ করেছিলেন আরাফাত". Desh TV (in Bengali). 2 February 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  8. ^ "Govt will launch new, international standard investigation into Abu Sayeed's killing: Arafat".
  9. ^ "Videos reveal brutality that left scores dead in Bangladesh protests".
  10. ^ "Govt determined to conduct thorough probe into violence: Arafat".
  11. ^ "Govt wants to resolve crisis peacefully through talks: Arafat".
  12. ^ "Crimes against humanity, genocide: Arrest warrants for Hasina, 45 others". The Daily Star. 18 October 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
  13. ^ "Honorable State Minister". moi.gov.bd. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Chairperson". Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Introducing Canadian University of Bangladesh". Canadian University of Bangladesh. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  16. ^ Masum, Obaidur. "Canadian University gets Rajuk's Purbachal plot 'in breach of rules'". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  17. ^ "M Arafat: From a teacher to state minister". Dhaka Tribune. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  18. ^ "The international community must see the Bangladesh of 2022". Atlantic Council. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  19. ^ "The better candidate". Dhaka Tribune. 27 April 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  20. ^ Sharma, Sumit (17 August 2020). "India bids to head off China in Bangladesh". Asia Times. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  21. ^ a b "Complainant to foreigners, is a traitor Reza Kibria is inexperienced in politics". Barta24. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  22. ^ "AL announces full-fledged central committee". Risingbd.com. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  23. ^ Rahaman, Arafat (9 September 2022). "Manarat University: Govt reconstitutes trustee board over 'militancy links'". The Daily Star. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  24. ^ Rahaman, Arafat (8 September 2022). "Atiqul Islam made chairman of Manarat Int'l University Board of Trustees". The Daily Star. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  25. ^ "Bangladesh-India ties are not a zero-sum game". The Daily Star (Opinion).
  26. ^ "'We see no challenges as the stars are aligned in favour of the Awami League'". Dhaka Tribune.
  27. ^ "Arafat elected from Dhaka-17 within 5 months without any visible competition". Somoy News.
  28. ^ "Arafat wins Dhaka-17 by-election". The Daily Star.
  29. ^ "Arafat, Tarana new faces in Awami League central committee".
  30. ^ "Some protesters were drugged, says Arafat". New Age. UNB. 23 July 2024.
  31. ^ "'Throw hot water on protesters': 'Alo Ashbei' artistes' WhatsApp group under fire". The Daily Star. 3 September 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  32. ^ "Leaked conversation of artists speaking against student movement goes viral". The Business Standard. 4 September 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  33. ^ "President dissolves parliament". The Daily Star. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  34. ^ a b "Banks asked to freeze accounts of Arafat, his wife". The Daily Star. 12 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  35. ^ ডেস্ক, বরিশালটাইমস (1 February 2025). "৪ টিভির সম্প্রচার বন্ধে চাপ দিয়েছিলেন আরাফাত | বরিশালটাইমস". Barishal Times | বরিশালটাইমস. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  36. ^ "দেশ টিভিসহ ৪ টিভি চ্যানেলের সম্প্রচার বন্ধ করেছিলেন আরাফাত". Desh TV (in Bengali). 2 February 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  37. ^ Report, Star Digital (8 September 2024). "Asaduzzaman, Dipu Moni, Arafat sued over death of JnU student". The Daily Star. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  38. ^ "Former info minister Arafat arrested". 27 August 2024.
  39. ^ Ali Arafat, Mohammad (27 July 2024). "Arafat not arrested, says DMP debunking media reports". banglanews24.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  40. ^ "Arafat not arrested, says DMP debunking media reports". The Business Standard. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  41. ^ "Fall of Hasina regime: Over 92,000 accused, 1,474 cases, 51 days". The Daily Star. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  42. ^ আমিন, নুরুল (5 November 2024). "বিদেশি 'নাগরিকত্ব' নিয়ে মন্ত্রী-এমপি হন ২৪ জন". Prothomalo (in Bengali). Retrieved 17 February 2025.
  43. ^ "Article 66 of Bangladesh Constitution". Archived from the original on 5 August 2024.
  44. ^ "Sheikh Hasina, ministers, top cops sued for genocide and crimes against humanity". 14 August 2024.
  45. ^ "Crimes against humanity, genocide: Arrest warrants for Hasina, 45 others". The Daily Star. 18 October 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
  46. ^ জন্মদিন : শমী কায়সার :: দৈনিক ইত্তেফাক [Birthday: Shami Kaiser]. The Daily Ittefaq (in Bengali). 10 January 2013. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  47. ^ "Shomi and Panna Kaiser on "Eki Brintey" tonight". The Daily Star. 19 November 2009.
  48. ^ "A new chapter begins for Shomi Kaiser". The Daily Star. 10 October 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  49. ^ "Shomi Kaiser ties the knot with Reza Ameen". New Age. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
Allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Ali_Arafat
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