Joint Forces Clear Occupied Home of Former MP in Tangail

Law enforcement agencies have cleared the residence of Joaherul Islam, general secretary of Tangail district Awami League and a former Member of Parliament, after it was illegally occupied by a group led by a self-proclaimed student activist.

A joint operation by the army and police, led by Sadar Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Ruhul Amin Sharif, was conducted on Saturday night (March 8) at around 10:30 PM to remove the individuals from the house in the Chhoto Kalibari area of Tangail town. The evicted individuals were later relocated to a residence in Santosh Baroitala.

Earlier on Saturday, Mariam Mukaddas Mishti, who identified herself as an organizer of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, forcibly entered the locked residence along with a group of people. She claimed that those accompanying her were mentally unstable individuals and that the house was being converted into a shelter for them.

Mishti defended her actions, insisting that this was not an act of illegal occupation, but rather part of a broader initiative to establish shelters for mentally ill individuals in the homes of Awami League leaders. She further said that 20 individuals had already been housed in the building in line with this initiative, which had previously been discussed on social media.

As news of the occupation spread, it sparked widespread discussion and controversy in Tangail.

Joaherul Islam was elected as an MP from Tangail-8 in the 2018 parliamentary elections. However, he has been absconding since August 5 last year.

On February 6, the residence was attacked, vandalized, and looted, after which the property remained unoccupied, though the main gate remained locked.

Referring to the February 6 incident, Mishti alleged that an individual acting on behalf of Joaherul Islam had proposed using the house as a shelter instead of demolishing it. However, she was unable to name the person who made the offer.

While Misti was previously listed as a coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement during the July Uprising, the movement’s coordination team was dissolved on October 22 last year. A new committee was later formed in Tangail, excluding her from any leadership role.

The current leadership of the movement has distanced itself from her actions, saying that they will not take responsibility for any activities conducted by former coordinators.