Feared as the godfather of Narayanganj, AKM Shamim Osman had turned this traditional commercial hub just outside Dhaka into a lawless city with his reign of terror.
The mobster turned politician has not been seen since the fall of the previous government. Shamim Osman reportedly escaped from his stronghold and fled the country within hours of his leader Sheikh Hasina's escape.
Known for his oft-repeated Bengali phrase, which roughly means "Game on!" in English (khela hobe!) Shamim Osman's armed henchmen had been turned loose on the protesters in the dying days of Awami League regime when the then ruling party unleashed a wave of violence through its armed cadres. Of course, this was not the first time that it was "game on" for the Narayanganj mobster. He had turned tail in 2001 also, when the Awami League lost the national election to BNP.
Now that the former MP of Narayanganj is in hiding, locals have heaved a sigh of relief for their "freedom" after 15 years of being held hostage. During this time, Shamim has been accused for numerous murders, forced disappearances, extortion and land grabbing. But no one could speak up without facing torture or, worse, death.
Born into a political dynasty rooted in the famous river port of Narayanganj, Shamim Osman first made his bones as a frontline stalwart during the anti-Ershad campaign in the late 1980's and early 1990's.
He started showing his true colours once he became MP in 1996. His older brother AKM Nasim Osman, who has passed, was also a lawmaker, although from the Jatiyo Party. That is when Shamim gradually came to be known as the godfather of Narayanganj. He ran all the major rackets securing control over government tenders, transport business, stolen oil (from the port), illegal sand quarrying and land grabbing.
At that time, his four lieutenants were known as the "four caliphs" (reminiscent of the four leaders who headed the Islamic caliphate after the prophet). During that time (Awami League's tenure 1996–2001), anyone who spoke against them in the "city of terror" would simply be killed.
Shamim Osman fled his hood when BNP swept to power in 2001. There were at least 17 cases against Shamim for crimes between 1994 and 2007. However, he never spent a day in jail since he was acquitted in several, while the rest were either withdrawn by the state or suspended by the High Court.
He quickly restored the absolute control he once had in different rackets and only returned to Bangladesh after the Awami League had formed government again in 2008.
The AL leader has been accused of selling and occupying various government lands in Narayanganj through his associates exercising undue influence. He turned the Rifles Club of Narayanganj into his political office and also had full control over the posh Narayanganj Club.
Shamim-Ivy conflict
In a surprising turn of events, Shamim Osmam did not get his party's nomination for the 2008 election. Instead, it was the immensely popular film star Sarah Begum Kabori who got the party nod and won the election.
Deprived of public office, Shamim Osman then became a mayoral candidate in the first election of Narayanganj City Corporation in 2011. At that time, his rival was Selina Hayat Ivy, a former senior vice-president of AL's Narayanganj unit, who had a clean image and presented a stark contrast to that of Shamim. This set off a long conflict between the two politicians of Narayanganj.
Ivy started speaking out against Shamim Osman's criminal activities publicly while Shamim continued to make threats against her. Their public debates descended into bitter quarrels and the situation became so heated that the entire country was riveted to the city elections of Narayanganj.
Ivy was elected as the first woman mayor of the country by defeating Awami League heavyweight Shamim Osman by more than 100,000 votes. However, come next election (2014) Shamim became an MP – he was one of the 158 MPs elected unopposed.
Taqi Murder
Shamim Osman came under the spotlight after Narayanganj city elections, in 2013, for his alleged involvement in murdering a teenager, Tanwir Muhammad Taqi. The 17-year-old had taken his A level exams and the results came out just one day after we went missing. Taqi had secured the highest score in the world in physics and in chemistry he had the highest score in Bangladesh. His body washed up in the Shitalakkhya river on March 8, 2013, two days after he had gone missing.
Taqi's father, Rafiur Rabbi, accused Shamim Osman and his family members for the murder. He submitted a complaint to the Narayanganj police superintendent of that time accusing eight people by name that included Shamim, his son Imtinan Osman Ayon and nephew Ajmeri Osman.
Rabbi was a cultural personality of Narayanganj who led citizens against Shamim Osman and his transport syndicate in 2011 and played a key-role for Selina Hayat Ivy's campaign during the city elections of Narayanganj helping her beat Shamim.
Shamim Osman had been incensed with Rafiur Rabbi ever since.
"After being abducted on the orders of Shamim Osman, his nephew Ajmeri Osman tortured Taqi to death in his detention cell. Later his body was dumped into the Shitalakhya so that it would disappear," said Rabbi.
Seven-murder
Nazrul Islam, then panel mayor of the city corporation, his lawyer Chandan Sarkar and five others were killed in 2014, after they were abducted on the Dhaka-Narayanganj link road. Their bodies were found floating in the Shitalakhya river after three days.
Shamim Osman is also alleged to be involved in this murder. Former councillor Nur Hossain, who was sentenced to death in this sensational murder case, was a close associate of Shamim Osman.
Shamim used to control the rackets of the entire transport sector, drug syndicate and land grabbing through Nur Hossain.
Ajmeri Osman's Terror
Son of the late MP, Nasim Osman, and nephew of Shamim, Ajmeri had also made a name for himself in the underworld of terror and violence. He had his own group of thugs and cadres similar to that of his uncle. Ajmeri also had several "dens" where he would hold businessmen and rivals and torture them.
Ajmeri Osman has been accused of at least 16 murders, including that of Taqi, businessman Bhulu Saha, cultural activist Didarul Alam Chanchal and Ashiqul Islam. However, no one dared file a case against Ajmeri.
Although Rab had announced his name, there were still no complaints. It had said, "Ajmeri along with 10 of his associates, killed Taqi in his torture cell Winner Fashion on Allama Iqbal road."
During its raid in Winner Fashion, Rab recovered a pair of blood-stained jeans, which was said to have belonged to one Ashikul Islam. He was called out of his home by two of Ajmeri's associates in 2011, two years before the raid. His body was also recovered from Shitalakhya river, said his brother Fahimul. Ashikul was found in his underwear only and his clothes were never found, till his family's claim in 2013 following the Rab raid.
"Ajmeri Osman had brutally tortured and killed Ashikul due to a business dispute. At that time, when I went to the police station to file a case, the police said that they would not accept it if I named Ajmeri in the case. Such was the Osman family's reign of terror in this city that even a general diary could not be filed against them," said Fahimul.
After the caretaker government assumed power in 2007, a list of 40 violent criminals was put up in front of Rab's regional camp on Shaista Khan road in Narayanganj.
The name Shamim Osman was at the top with Ajmeri Osman coming in second behind his uncle. That list was soon taken down after the Awami League swept to power.
Absolute Control of Chhatra League
Shamim Osman's son Imtinan Osman Ayon had absolute control of the pro-Awami League student organisation, Chhatra League, in Narayanganj, which he used to suppress opposition.
Over the last 10 years, Shamim had converted his alma mater, the Government Tolaram College, into a detention and torture cell for Chhatra League. He used certain rooms of the college to torture students, student leaders and journalists.
Selim Osman becomes MP
Another brother of Shamim, AKM Selim Osman became MP in a by-election of Narayanganj-5 constituency as a Jatiyo Party candidate after his elder brother Nasim died in 2014 although he had never been in politics. He went on to win three elections.
The three-time MP controlled the businessmen and business organisations in his town. He held the post of president of BKMEA, Bangladesh's top business association of knitwear manufacturers and exporters, for 14 consecutive years. He held the post for five terms only to resign after August 5 as he went on the run.
"We were hostages to Selim Osman. He used to demand large sums of money from time to time. Businessmen had to contribute to every political meeting of Shamim Osman and Selim Osman. No one dared participate in the elections except those he allowed," said a BKMEA leader.
MP vs SP
Shamim Osman, however, got into trouble just after the national election of 2018. Harun Or Rashid, a police superintendent at that time, had been posted to Narayanganj a few days before the election. He began arresting criminals close to the Osmans soon afterwards.
This made Shamim very angry, so much so, that he criticized the policeman publicly at a rally in the city. On the other hand, SP Harun also submitted a complaint to the home ministry with numerous allegations against Shamim.
However, Harun was transferred at the end of 2019.
Unleashed on Students
Shamim Osman fired upon the crowd of student protesters with his criminal gang on July 19, during the anti-discrimination movement. On that day, Shamim along with his son Ayon, nephew Ajmeri, brother-in-law Tanvir Ahmed Titu, henchmen Shah Nizam and Niajul Islam Khan, and dozens of goons took to the streets of Narayanganj and opened fire upon the protesters.
Several video clips of them firing from modern firearms have gone viral on social media as well as mainstream news platforms. Even just a few hours before the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government, his criminal gang was firing on protesters. But soon after the government fell, Shamim Osman skipped town. In fact, he flew out of the country with his family and is reportedly living in the United Arab Emirates.
His nephew Ajmeri Osman has also been on the run since the fall of Awami League.
