BNP MP Ferdousi Mishti to resign over Radda clinic demolition
BNP has asked lawmaker Ferdousi Ahmed Mishti to resign as reporting links people close to her political network to the September 25 looting and demolition of the Radda MCH-FP Centre in Mirpur. Mishti has denied involvement, while investigators are examining allegations about her role.
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In a Nutshell:
- BNP has asked lawmaker Ferdousi Ahmed Mishti to resign from parliament, according to Atikur Rahman Rumon, additional press secretary to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
- The move follows pressure from senior BNP leaders for punitive action against party figures allegedly linked to the Radda MCH-FP Centre attack.
- Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said investigators were examining the alleged involvement of a lawmaker and that action would follow if the allegation was substantiated.
- He also said there was no evidence of political involvement in the incident, although some of those arrested may have political affiliations, and that their affiliations would not affect legal action.
- Salahuddin said a Shah Ali police officer had been found negligent, withdrawn from duty and subjected to departmental proceedings.
- Mishti's name emerged after local residents, political figures, and BNP activists alleged links between her and the takeover of the clinic property. Investigators have not established her involvement, and she has denied the allegations.
- Mishti was previously president of Somomona Dokandar Samabay Samity Limited, the cooperative whose signboard appeared at the Radda site after the demolition. She held the position from 2002 to 2006 and signed an application seeking allocation of the property in the cooperative's name.
- TBS reported that several people allegedly involved in organising or monitoring the demolition were associated with Mishti, including BNP leader Hanif Mia and former Chhatra Dal leader Abul Kalam Azad Lenin.
- TBS also reported that investigators suspect Mishti was inside a vehicle near the clinic during the operation, although she was not visible in CCTV footage.
- The excavator used in the demolition was reportedly hired through the cooperative's cashier, Shahadat Hossain, who has been arrested.
- Police have arrested 12 people in the case and withdrawn the Shah Ali police station officer in charge of the police response.
Context
The Radda MCH-FP Centre was attacked between midnight and 2 am on September 25 by an estimated 200 to 250 people. Two security guards were held hostage, medicines and medical equipment were looted, and parts of the nearly 50-year-old facility were demolished with heavy machinery. CCTV footage later showed people loading goods onto pickups while a police vehicle stood outside. The property has a longer history involving Somomona Dokandar Samabay Samity. Mishti served as the cooperative's president and, according to Prothom Alo, signed an application for allocation of the land in its name while she was a ward commissioner. The cooperative's signboard was installed at the site after the demolition. Mishti says her association with the cooperative ended years ago and denies any role in the attack. The new reporting goes further into the alleged political network around the operation. TBS reported that Hanif Mia, Abul Kalam Azad Lenin and former Dhaka Metropolitan Jubo Dal leader Mostafa Jaglul Pasha were connected to the operation and described Hanif and Lenin as close associates of Mishti. It also reported that investigators suspect Mishti was in a nearby microbus, although CCTV did not capture her.
Why It Matters
The cooperative connection is documented, while the alleged links between Mishti and the people involved in the operation remain under investigation. The same applies to the reported suspicion that she was present near the clinic. The police investigation is also still dealing with its own question of accountability. CCTV footage showed a police vehicle outside during the raid, and the officer in charge of the local station has been withdrawn. The case, therefore, involves both the alleged organisation of the demolition and the conduct of law enforcement during it.
What We Think
The BNP government deserves credit for moving quickly in response to the Radda incident. Asking a lawmaker from the area where the vandalism and looting occurred to resign, while the allegations against her are still being investigated, signals that political position will not be allowed to overshadow a serious public incident. The government is also investigating the police officers who were present at the scene but failed to intervene.