Ex-MP’s close aide Lak Mia accused of land grabbing, terrorizing locals in Araihazar

The people of Araihazar in Narayanganj are demanding exemplary punishment for former Brahmandi Union Parishad chairman Lak Mia, accusing him of land grabbing, extortion, and violent repression of residents.

Lak Mia, once a day laborer from Uzan Gobindi village, rose to power through his close ties with former MP Nazrul Islam Babu. Despite not being an Awami League leader, he became the ex-MP’s most trusted financial associate. Using political influence, he was elected chairman of Brahmandi Union Parishad in 2013 by allegedly seizing polling centers with armed cadres.  

Residents claim that Lak Mia and his armed group forcibly occupied agricultural land, houses, and even parts of the Brahmaputra River to expand his industrial empire. His ‘Bhai Bhai Spinning Mills Ltd.’ and other factories now span hundreds of acres, much of it allegedly acquired through coercion.  

One such victim was farmer Lal Mia of Chhoto Binaichor village, whose only source of income was his 18 decimals of farmland. When Lak Mia’s group set its sights on the land, his men launched a nighttime attack, brutally hacking Lal Mia’s physically disabled son Abdul Matin. Devastated by the loss of his land, Lal Mia later passed away.  

Residents say Lak Mia’s terror was not limited to land grabbing. His nephew Nayeem Hasan was sentenced to life in prison for abducting and raping a seventh-grade student in 2012, though he was released on bail last year and now roams freely with an armed gang.  

Furthermore, locals accuse Lak Mia of controlling drug trade operations through an associate named Sohel Member, a listed narcotics dealer. His elder brother Joynal Abedin, known for his ruthlessness, collapsed and died from a heart attack after a woman publicly beat him with a shoe for trying to grab her land.  

Despite being convicted in a fraud case in 2023, Lak Mia remained active in Araihazar politics under police protection. He has faced at least nine criminal cases, including for murder, arms possession, and financial fraud.  

Although Lak Mia was recently arrested in an anti-corruption case, locals fear that his influence remains intact. Authorities have yet to take concrete steps to dismantle his network of crime and land grabbing.  

Residents of Araihazar continue to demand justice, urging the government to hold Lak Mia and his accomplices accountable for years of oppression.