Humaiun Kobir patronising convicted AL ally!

State Minister for Foreign Affairs-1 Humaiun Kobir is facing allegations of patronising an Awami League-linked convicted criminal, Fahim Choudhury, at New York’s Grand Hyatt Hotel amid the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where he is reportedly using access to hold meetings and influence government transfer and posting decisions in Bangladesh.

“Fahim Al Choudhury is close to Sheikh Rehana and her son Radwan Mujib Siddique Boby. He meets them on a regular basis. A sheer opportunist, he is also a convicted criminal by a British court.

How can State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir back this person in holding a series of meetings with influential persons, staying at New York’s Grand Hyatt Hotel, is a big question,” said a Bangladeshi individual familiar with the matter.

On the condition of anonymity, the person further said that Fahim is now controlling transfers and posting deals in Bangladesh and has made huge money through this.

“Two persons named Shamim and Asad are also staying in New York’s Grand Hyatt Hotel. They both are reliable activists of Humaiun Kobir.

There are many allegations against them. Shamim is a close friend to Fahim, and through him Fahim has developed a relation with Kobir,” the Bangladeshi individual added.

Fahim Al Choudhury’s original name is Fahim Al Ishaq, and he added the title Choudhury with his name later.

A special report published by the UK-based newspaper The Evening Telegraph on 9 February 2021 detailed the allegations of fraud involving Fahim Al Ishaq.

Fahim is a convicted criminal by a UK court who served jail terms in two counts for three years in 2010 on charges of defrauding worth £21,000 and possessing stolen goods.

Later in 2017, he was jailed again by another UK court for harassing a woman and sending her private sexual materials through post. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison on one count and nine months on the other, with the sentences to run concurrently.

The judge also imposed a 10-year restraining order barring him from contacting his victims.

Daren Streeter, a legal and stakeholder manager at the Crown Prosecution Service, then told a local newspaper that Fahim Choudhury’s main target suffered years of unwanted and persistent harassment and another person close to her was also targeted.

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“Choudhury showed no remorse for his actions, but thanks to the bravery and perseverance of those he targeted, he will no longer be able to be a menace to the public.”

Seeking to avoid legal punishment in the UK, Fahim Al Ishaq returned to Bangladesh and adopted an entirely new strategy. He began using the surname “Choudhury” after his name to distance himself from his dark past.

He has been accused of using his financial resources, a group of favourable content creators, and low-cost mainstream media outlets to portray himself almost overnight as a prominent industrialist.

He then sought to build an elite public image by sponsoring or patronising high-profile entertainment events, including the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), music and dance programmes, and publicity-oriented social welfare activities.

Behind these seemingly routine activities, he is allegedly preparing himself for a mayoral bid in a major city corporation election and has already begun an aggressive publicity campaign.

According to sources, State Minister for Foreign Affairs-1 Humaiun Kobir is trying to establish his control over Sylhet district and the metropolitan BNP’s politics, where Commerce, Industries, Textiles, and Jute Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir and Labour and Expatriates’ Welfare Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury have strongholds for their years of dedication and contribution.

Humaiun Kobir is using fraudsters like Fahim to spread his influence on local politics.

Basically a person who loves to remain in the spotlight, Fahim continuously tries to appear in social media discussions using the money he amassed through illegal means.

Earlier, during the last BPL, Fahim became an adviser of the Sylhet Titans team and tried to grab people’s attention through his different sarcastic activities and statements.

Responding to a question from journalists, he said, “There’s no time for the BPL. Think about the IPL.”

His remarks quickly triggered a wave of debate and criticism across print, electronic, and online media, as well as social media.

After the Sylhet Titans lost a match, he made serious allegations of match-fixing and betrayal against one of his own players.

During that time, in a Facebook post, he accused journalists of spreading negative news to ensure more views, as content won’t put food on their table.

Following the post, journalists announced a boycott of Sylhet Titans’ matches in protest. They said they would not cover the team’s matches unless Fahim apologised within 24 hours.

Later, Bangladesh National Cricket Team player Nasum Ahmed, mentioning Fahim’s name in a Facebook post, requested him to complete his payments.