Staff Reporter: Writer, journalist and heroic freedom fighter has been assaulted by Awami League leader at Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC. Local Awami League leader Mahmudun Nabi Baki insulted Virginia expatriate writer, journalist and heroic freedom fighter Harun Chowdhury when he went to the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC on April 4 to attend the 50th anniversary and 52nd Independence and National Day celebrations of bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the United States. Leaders and activists of the Metro Washington Awami League have expressed their anger and condemnation over the incident.
Heroic freedom fighter Harun Chowdhury said that the expatriate writer and journalist from Virginia appeared at the embassy on the afternoon of April 4 at the invitation of M Shahidul Islam, Ambassador of Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC to attend the 50th Anniversary of Bilateral Relations between Bangladesh and USA and 52nd Independence and National Day celebrations. Mahmudun Nabi Baki, a so-called Awami League expatriate from Manasas, Virginia, became furious when he saw Harun Chowdhury with Awami League leaders at the embassy. What kind of freedom fighter are you at one stage of abusing Harun Chowdhury in vulgar language? Why are you humiliating him for coming here? Many Awami League leaders and activists, including journalists, were shocked by the misconduct of the rest. At the time, local lawyer and Awami League leader Mohammad Alamgir and New York expatriate journalist Lablu Ansar requested freedom fighter Harun Chowdhury to remain calm to keep the embassy program favorable. As a result, despite enduring the rude and arrogant behavior of Mahmudun Nabi Baki, the heroic freedom fighter Harun Chowdhury remained silent so that the atmosphere of the embassy would not be ruined.
Harun Chowdhury said that the event was disrupted due to misconduct of Mahmudun Nabi with other Awami League leaders during the August 15 celebrations at the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC in 2014. He was therefore barred from entering the embassy. For many years he was not allowed to enter the Bangladesh embassy.
He said that Mahmudun Nabi was involved with Jasad Chhatra League while staying in the rest of the country. His father was a Pakistan Railways employee and he had close ties with Pakistanis. He mentions that the baki was a cloth merchant before he came to the United States.
The so-called Awami League leader Mahmudun Nabi baki, in the remaining separate incidents, abused and humiliated more than a dozen expatriate Awami League leaders. Harun Chowdhury, a freedom fighter who took part in the liberation war under Khaled Mosharraf and Major Haider in Sector 2K Force and a heroic freedom fighter who was in charge of Srinagar police station commander, was the last to be assaulted by him. Earlier, the former president of the Metro Washington Awami League and the president of the Bangabandhu Foundation in the United States and the former director general of the United States Census Bureau Dr. Mansur Khandoker, former president of the Metro Washington Awami League and former chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Dr. Shahjahan Mahmud, Dr. Mizan Majumdar, former president of US awami league Dr. Siddiqur Rahman, Former US awami league president Khalid Hassan, Senior vice president Fazlur Rahman, Virginia AL President Rafiq Parvez, Metro Washington AL president Sadek Khan, former acting general secretary Amar Islam, former Metro Washington AL president Alauddin and former general secretary Sheikh Selim, AL leaders Shamim Chowdhury, GI Russell and Shibbir Ahmed have been humiliated by him.
Metro Washington Awami League president Sadek Khan said Mahmudun Nabi Baki is a general secretary of his committee but there was no good relationship due to various incidents and his extremist attitude. As a result, there are many obstacles in the way of running Metro Washington Awami League. He has had altercations with almost all leaders of the United States Awami League, including in Metro Washington, and has even humiliated countless leaders and activists. He does not want to give any respect to anyone. The incidents of his arrogant behavior have been reported to the Central Committee leaders in a timely manner. As a result, he was fired several times. He only thinks of himself as the leader of Awami League and no one else. Sadek Khan expressed his anger and condemnation on behalf of the leaders and activists of Metro Washington Awami League.
When the Bangladesh embassy in Washington DC was contacted to find out the truth of the incident, an embassy official said they had heard about the matter but were not fully aware.
Ambassador at the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC, M Shahidul Islam said the allegation was being investigated after a text message was sent to him.
Accused Mahmudun Nabi Baki was contacted to verify the truth of the incident. He was asked, “Did you insult any freedom fighter or Awami League leader on April 4 at the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington DC?” Want to know what the real facts are? In response, he said, who is a freedom fighter and who is the leader of Awami League? Harun Chowdhury and Dr. Mansur Khandaker’s name is mentioned in the answer. He later denied the allegations in a statement issued. He said that there was no need to answer this question and to stop sending short messages.
BP/SM
