Mosaddek Ali Falu
Encyclopedia
Alhaj Mosaddek Ali Falu is a Bangladeshi
politician and a former parliamentarian
from BNP
. He served as the political adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Begum Khaleda Zia between 2001 and 2006. He was in jail on grounds of corruption between 2007 and 2008, and is currently out on bail
Begum Khaleda Zia. He became a close companion to the Prime Minister, earning her trust. Evidence of this closeness includes Falu being delegated important duties and accompanying Khaleda Zia
during her umrah
s, among others.
-10 constituency when BNP parliamentarian M A Mannan's defection to Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh
meant that the seat was vacant (defection from a political party automatically results in the parliament seat to be vacated under Article 70 of the Constitution). Falu won the elections, but the polls were considered to be sham
by most observers, and according to WikiLeaks
, including the United States.
He was sworn in hastily, only after 30 minutes of the release of the official gazette, raising questions. It takes at least 6 hours to prepare for oath-taking after the release of a gazette, and swear-ins from other by-elections were held about a week after official results.
's caretaker government in January 2007 and the ascension of an army-backed caretaker government
, Falu was among the first of many to be arrested on corruption charges - he was arrested on 5 February 2007. Soon after his arrest, 15 spotted deers reared illegally were retrieved from Falu's retreat in Savar
, and his Savar retreat was ultimately valued at 153 crore taka ($ 22.5 million). He was further charged on multiple counts.
Falu was found guilty on charges of relief embezzlement on June 2, 2008, after spending over a year in prison. He was sentenced 5 years in prison and a fine of 5.35 lakh
taka ($ 7,133) or a further one year. The special court convened within parliament campus.
While in jail, he was entitled to division by virtue of being a former parliamentarian. However, he lost division in December 2008 when he was found to have held a meeting with another politician, Islami Oikya Jote
leader Mufti Shahidul Islam at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Previously, an i-Pod was confiscated from him. He was then sent to Kashimpur jail as a common prisoner. On 18 December 2008, the High Court ruled Falu's detention illegal and ordered bail. He was released on 22 December.
While on bail, Falu tried to make a trip to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with his family in February 2009, and was denied exit by the immigration police.
In another lawsuit regarding the accumulation of wealth illegally and withholding information on assets, the Court halted grafts
case and asked the government to explain why the lawsuit should not be scrapped.
He was granted anticipatory bail on another relief embezzlement charge in August 2010.
after Zia and Falu were released from prison and the caretaker regime ended. He was selected into the advisory council, now consisting of 32 members, following the Fifth National Council of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party
. He was a regular part of Zia's entourage to umrah
while she was Prime Minister; he continued to accompany her for umrah to Saudi Arabia
during September 2010 and April 2011.
It was rumored in late 2010 that Falu had submitted a resignation letter to exempt himself from the advisory council soon after he was appointed. It is believed that clash with other influential party leaders and expectation of a more important post prompted the resignation. Zia had neither received the resignation, nor had Falu withdrawn it. Although Falu denied sending any such letters, Falu was never seen active in politics since then.
channel NTV
since 2001, and the Chairman since 2003. Among other businesses he also owns the Bengali language
newspaper Amar Desh
. Given that NTV's news is avidly followed in the country, Falu can be considered a media mogul.
He also is the chairman of a large private sector bank in the country. His industrial investments include a joint venture with China for manufacturing ceramics, steel fabrication manufacturing company, health care, and consumer products manufacturing company.
identified Mosaddek Ali Falu among the 20 individuals involved in masterminding the scam to their personal benefits; specific evidences were available against Falu according to the report. The probe committee found Falu, among others, to operate multiple omnibus
accounts used perform the chicanery. However, the Finance Minister AMA Muhith
stated that the state would neither disclose the names of the accused officially nor take punitive measures without further investigation.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
politician and a former parliamentarian
Jatiyo Sangshad
Jatiya Sangsad or National Assembly is the national parliament of Bangladesh. The current parliament of Bangladesh contains 345 seats including 45 women reserved seats distributed on elected party position in the parliament, the occupants of which are called Members of Parliament or MPs...
from BNP
Bangladesh Nationalist Party
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party , commonly referred to as the BNP, is the mainstream center-right political party in Bangladesh. BNP ruled Bangladesh total 18 years since her independence, the longest than any other party in Bangladesh...
. He served as the political adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Prime Minister of Bangladesh
The Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is the Head of the Government of Bangladesh. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Jatiya Sangsad Parliament, to their political party and ultimately to the electorate...
Begum Khaleda Zia between 2001 and 2006. He was in jail on grounds of corruption between 2007 and 2008, and is currently out on bail
Political adviser to the Prime Minister
Falu began his career in politics as the political adviser to Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Bangladesh
The Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is the Head of the Government of Bangladesh. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Jatiya Sangsad Parliament, to their political party and ultimately to the electorate...
Begum Khaleda Zia. He became a close companion to the Prime Minister, earning her trust. Evidence of this closeness includes Falu being delegated important duties and accompanying Khaleda Zia
Khaleda Zia
Begum Khaleda Zia is the former First Lady of Bangladesh , and then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, having served from 1991 to 1996, becoming the first woman in the country's history and second in the Muslim world to head a democratic government as prime minister. She served again from 2001 until...
during her umrah
Umrah
The Umrah or is a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, performed by Muslims that can be undertaken at any time of the year. In Arabic, Umrah means "to visit a populated place"...
s, among others.
Parliamentarian
In light of Khaleda's two-way loyalty strategy Falu was allowed to contest for the 2004 by-election of the DhakaDhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
-10 constituency when BNP parliamentarian M A Mannan's defection to Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh
Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh
Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh is a political party in Bangladesh founded by former President of Bangladesh and BNP parliamentarian Dr. A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury in 2004. Incidentally, Dr Chowdhury is also a founding member of BNP, the party he was ousted from. Their party symbol during the polls is...
meant that the seat was vacant (defection from a political party automatically results in the parliament seat to be vacated under Article 70 of the Constitution). Falu won the elections, but the polls were considered to be sham
Sham
Sham, a word found in Arabic, English and Chinese, may refer to:-Arabic use:* Sham, or Alsahm, the Arabic name for the star Alpha Sagittae* Sham, , al-Sham, or Bilad al-Sham, endonym of the region bordering the eastern Mediterranean Sea, usually known as the Levant or Greater Syria, comprising...
by most observers, and according to WikiLeaks
Wikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
, including the United States.
He was sworn in hastily, only after 30 minutes of the release of the official gazette, raising questions. It takes at least 6 hours to prepare for oath-taking after the release of a gazette, and swear-ins from other by-elections were held about a week after official results.
Corruption charges
Following the resignation of Iajuddin AhmedIajuddin Ahmed
-Early life:Ahmed was born in Bikrampur of Dhaka District, erstwhile Bengal province, British India . As the son of Moulvi Ibrahim Mia, Ahmed obtained his B.Sc. and M.S. at the University of Dhaka in 1952 and 1954 respectively and later received his M.S. and Ph.D...
's caretaker government in January 2007 and the ascension of an army-backed caretaker government
Caretaker government
Caretaker government is a type of government that rules temporarily. A caretaker government is often set up following a war until stable democratic rule can be restored, or installed, in which case it is often referred to as a provisional government...
, Falu was among the first of many to be arrested on corruption charges - he was arrested on 5 February 2007. Soon after his arrest, 15 spotted deers reared illegally were retrieved from Falu's retreat in Savar
Sävar
Sävar is a locality situated in Umeå Municipality, Västerbotten County, Sweden with 2,672 inhabitants in 2005.It is located by E4 about 15 km north of Umeå, Sweden. Sävar is mostly known for being the last battlefield of the Finnish War....
, and his Savar retreat was ultimately valued at 153 crore taka ($ 22.5 million). He was further charged on multiple counts.
Falu was found guilty on charges of relief embezzlement on June 2, 2008, after spending over a year in prison. He was sentenced 5 years in prison and a fine of 5.35 lakh
Lakh
A lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand . It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and is often used in Indian English.-Usage:...
taka ($ 7,133) or a further one year. The special court convened within parliament campus.
While in jail, he was entitled to division by virtue of being a former parliamentarian. However, he lost division in December 2008 when he was found to have held a meeting with another politician, Islami Oikya Jote
Islami Oikya Jote
The Islami Oikya Jote is a political party in Bangladesh.At the last legislative elections, 1 October 2001, the party won 2 out of 300 elected members in an alliance with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. It is led by Ameer Allama Mufti Fazlul Huq Amini and Chairman Shaikul Hadith Allama Azizul Haq...
leader Mufti Shahidul Islam at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Previously, an i-Pod was confiscated from him. He was then sent to Kashimpur jail as a common prisoner. On 18 December 2008, the High Court ruled Falu's detention illegal and ordered bail. He was released on 22 December.
While on bail, Falu tried to make a trip to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with his family in February 2009, and was denied exit by the immigration police.
In another lawsuit regarding the accumulation of wealth illegally and withholding information on assets, the Court halted grafts
Graft (politics)
In general graft is an unscrupulous use of one’s authority for personal gain. However, the gain may also end up in party coffers...
case and asked the government to explain why the lawsuit should not be scrapped.
He was granted anticipatory bail on another relief embezzlement charge in August 2010.
Post-caretaker government
Mosaddek Ali Falu continued to be a close aide of Khaleda ZiaKhaleda Zia
Begum Khaleda Zia is the former First Lady of Bangladesh , and then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, having served from 1991 to 1996, becoming the first woman in the country's history and second in the Muslim world to head a democratic government as prime minister. She served again from 2001 until...
after Zia and Falu were released from prison and the caretaker regime ended. He was selected into the advisory council, now consisting of 32 members, following the Fifth National Council of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party
Bangladesh Nationalist Party
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party , commonly referred to as the BNP, is the mainstream center-right political party in Bangladesh. BNP ruled Bangladesh total 18 years since her independence, the longest than any other party in Bangladesh...
. He was a regular part of Zia's entourage to umrah
Umrah
The Umrah or is a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, performed by Muslims that can be undertaken at any time of the year. In Arabic, Umrah means "to visit a populated place"...
while she was Prime Minister; he continued to accompany her for umrah to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
during September 2010 and April 2011.
It was rumored in late 2010 that Falu had submitted a resignation letter to exempt himself from the advisory council soon after he was appointed. It is believed that clash with other influential party leaders and expectation of a more important post prompted the resignation. Zia had neither received the resignation, nor had Falu withdrawn it. Although Falu denied sending any such letters, Falu was never seen active in politics since then.
Business
Falu is the managing director of the private Bengali languageBengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
channel NTV
NTV (Bangladesh)
NTV is a Bengali language satellite television channel based in Bangladesh. It started operation in 2003. It is one of the most popular Bengali TV channels in the country. In the anniversary of the channel, the founder expressed interest in creating NTV2 to satisfy the watchers further, however he...
since 2001, and the Chairman since 2003. Among other businesses he also owns the Bengali language
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
newspaper Amar Desh
Amar Desh
Amar Desh is a major daily newspaper in Bangladesh, published from Dhaka in the Bengali language. Amardesh provides Bangladesh and International news as well as local and regional perspectives....
. Given that NTV's news is avidly followed in the country, Falu can be considered a media mogul.
He also is the chairman of a large private sector bank in the country. His industrial investments include a joint venture with China for manufacturing ceramics, steel fabrication manufacturing company, health care, and consumer products manufacturing company.
Share scam
The probe committee of the 2011 share market scam in Bangladesh2011 Bangladesh share market scam
The 2010-11 Bangladesh share market scam is an ongoing share market turmoil in the two Bangladeshi stock exchanges, DSE and CSE. Millions of small investors have lost all their investments due to the market crash...
identified Mosaddek Ali Falu among the 20 individuals involved in masterminding the scam to their personal benefits; specific evidences were available against Falu according to the report. The probe committee found Falu, among others, to operate multiple omnibus
Omnibus
Omnibus may refer to:Law* Omnibus bill, a single legislative document containing many laws or amendments* Omnibus spending bill, a single legislative document that sets the budget of many government departments* Omnibus clause* Omnibus hearing...
accounts used perform the chicanery. However, the Finance Minister AMA Muhith
Abul Maal Abdul Muhith
Abul Maal Abdul Muhith is an economist, diplomat, and a Bengali Language Movement veteran from Bangladesh. He was born in Sylhet in 1934.-Education:Mr. Muhith secured first place in his Intermediate examination in 1951 from Sylhet MC College...
stated that the state would neither disclose the names of the accused officially nor take punitive measures without further investigation.