Desk Report,
“Who is putting you here? I will open his eyes.”
An audio of a conversation between Comilla Education Board Chairman Professor Md. Shamsul Islam and Nangalkot Upazila BNP Convening Committee member and former local MP Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan has gone viral on social media. In the audio, Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan can be heard saying to the Education Board Chairman, “Whoever made you sit here, I will open his eyes. I will also open your eyes.”
“Who is putting you here? I will open his eyes.”
Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan was a Member of Parliament from Comilla-11 constituency (Nangalkot) in 2001. Before the 2008 elections, Comilla-10 constituency was formed by combining Comilla Sadar South and the current Lalmai Upazila with Nangalkot. On Tuesday, the audio of his conversation went viral on social media. The audio is said to be about three months old. Party sources said that Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan threatened the Board Chairman over the post of president of Bholine High School and College in Nangalkot Upazila. Abdul Gafur is currently the president of the institution.
However, Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan has claimed that this is not his call record. The record has been edited and circulated. Since then, his mobile phone has been switched off. However, the conversation was confirmed by talking to the chairman of the Comilla Education Board on Tuesday night.
After investigation, it was learned that on May 18 of this year, the Comilla District Commissioner recommended Mir Abu Saleh Shamsuddin, the elder brother of Shamsuddin Didar, a member of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s press wing, as the president of Bholine High School and College. Later, the chairman of the education board sent it to the head of the institution. Immediately after this, Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan called the chairman of the education board and abused him in inaudible language and made various threats. After the incident, Mir Abu Saleh Shamsuddin resigned from the post of president at the request of the chairman. After that, Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan became the president of the institution.
In the leaked 1 minute 52 second call recording, Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan can be heard saying in an excited state, ‘The media cell member is not here, he is not here.’ At that time, the Education Board Chairman said, ‘He came to me and introduced himself.’ Then Gafur Bhuiyan said, ‘Let me introduce myself, even if you introduce yourself, you cannot insult a member of parliament. I will come to your office, I will insult you. How big a mistake you have made, I will see you. Who is making you sit here, I will open his mistake. I will open your mistake too. There is a limit to rudeness. You have taken a joke. He is a coordinator, he works here, joke.’
At that time, the Education Board Chairman can be heard saying, ‘He introduced himself to me, he is Khaleda Zia’s press…’. Immediately after saying this, Gafur Bhuiyan said, ‘Okay, okay. You would have told me that there is such a lobbying, yes there is, he will not be able to enter there. His brother will not be able to enter, you are adulterating. If you do one, you will have to take responsibility for this. I will file a case against you tomorrow. How dare you, I will see to it….I am telling you to do it nicely, otherwise you will be harmed. You will be humiliated. I will see to it. I will not knock.’
When asked to know, Comilla Education Board Chairman Professor Md. Shamsul Islam told Prothom Alo, ‘The incident was almost three months ago. I cannot say how the call record spread on Facebook today. Apart from this, I do not want to comment on it.’
Comilla South District BNP Convener Zakaria Taher told Prothom Alo, ‘I have heard the call record a little. It is not a party matter. The matter is purely Gafur Bhuiyan’s personal. However, the matter is sad.’
