Md. Anwarul Azim Anar
{{Short description|Bangladeshi politician (1968–2024)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Md. Anwarul Azim Anar
| native_name = {{nobold|মোঃ আনোয়ারুল আজীম আনার}}
| native_name_lang = bn
| constituency_MP = Jhenaidah-4
| parliament = Bangladesh
| term_start = 29 January 2014
| term_end = 13 May 2024
| predecessor = Abdul Mannan
| successor = Vacant
| party = Bangladesh Awami League
| birth_date = {{birth date|1968|01|03|df=y}}
| birth_place = Jhenaidah, Khulna Division, East Pakistan, Pakistan
| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|05|13|1968|01|03|df=y}} (death disclosed)
| death_place = Kolkata, West Bengal, India
}}
Md. Anwarul Azim Anar (3 January 1968 – 13 May 2024) was a Bangladeshi Awami League politician and a three-term Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Jhenaidah-4 constituency from 2014 until his death in 2024.{{cite news |title=Md. Anwarul Azim (Anar), MP of Jhenaidah-4 constituency, inaugurating the shifted Kaliganj |url=http://m.thedailynewnation.com/news/165461/md-anwarul-azim-anar-mp-of-jhenaidah-4-constituency-inaugurating-the-shifted-kaliganj-branch-of-islami-bank-bangladesh-limited-at-kaliganj-bazar-in-jhenaidah-on-sunday-as-chief-guest-md-mahbub-ul-alam-managing-director-abu-reza-md-yeahia-dmd-of-the-bank-and-moksed-ali-kaliganj-pourasava-mayor-among-others-were-also-present |access-date=22 December 2018 |publisher=The Daily New Nation}}
Career
Anar allegedly got involved in the drug trade around 1986 when the Jatiya Party was in power. He used to smuggle goods through the Baghda border in India to the Baghavanga border in Bangladesh.{{Cite web |title=কে এই এমপি আনার, কেন এত আলোচনা? |url=https://www.kalbela.com/national/90156 |access-date=22 May 2024 |website=Kalbela |language=bn-BD}}{{Cite web |date=22 May 2024 |title=Why was MP Anwarul Azim murdered? |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/editorial/news/why-was-mp-anwarul-azim-murdered-3616136 |access-date=22 May 2024 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}}
In 1991, Anar allegedly got involved in gold smuggling along with Paritosh Tagore, another smuggler from Jhenaidah. In 1996, he was involved in arms smuggling.
In 2007, Interpol had issued a Red Notice against Anar for his connection with multiple criminal cases including arms and explosives.{{Cite web|date=23 May 2024 |title=আনোয়ারুল আজীম: অনেক অভিযোগ, তবু বারবার এমপি |url=https://www.prothomalo.com/politics/uruyyivmdh |access-date=24 May 2024 |website=Prothomalo |language=bn}}{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/bangladesh-mp-murdered-in-calcutta-what-we-know-so-far/cid/2021675|title=Bangladesh MP murdered in Calcutta? What we know so far|date=22 May 2024|accessdate=24 May 2024|publisher=Telegraph India}}
Anar was also accused in a murder case. A special court in Chuadanga issued a public notice in 2009 to arrest Anar. In 2012, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs, he was acquitted from the case due to political considerations.
Anar was first elected to the parliament on 5 January 2014 representing the Jhenaidah-4 constituency as an Awami League candidate.{{cite web |title=Md. Anwarul Azim (Anar) -মোঃ আনোয়ারুল আজীম (আনার) |url=https://amarmp.com/mp/152/history |website=amarmp.com |access-date=22 December 2018}} At the time of the election he had 21 cases against him.{{Cite web |date=6 August 2018 |title=Search result for Candidates in Constituency Jhenaidah-4 |url=http://election.dhakatribune.com/pages/search_candidates/?constituency_id=84|access-date=22 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806024920/http://election.dhakatribune.com/pages/search_candidates/?constituency_id=84 |archive-date=6 August 2018 }} He received 103,478 votes while his nearest competitor, Mohammad Mostafa Alamgir of the Bangladesh Workers Party, received 5,398. He was nominated instead of his predecessor, Abdul Mannan, who was also a same party member.{{Cite news |date=22 October 2018 |title=Jhenaidah 4 constituency: Awami League, BNP mired in internal feuds over nominations |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/election/158873/jhenaidah-4-constituency-awami-league-bnp-mired |access-date=22 May 2024 |work=Dhaka Tribune}} He served as a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Shipping.{{cite news |title=JS body for reviewing potential of wind power |url=http://www.daily-sun.com/home/printnews/335746 |access-date=22 December 2018 |work=Daily Sun}}
Anar was re-elected to the parliament in 2018 Bangladeshi general election retaining the same position.{{Cite web |date=25 November 2018 |title=Jhenaidah-4 - Constituency detail of Bangladesh General Election 2018 |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/bangladesh-national-election-2018/seats?s=Jhenaidah-4&d=khulna |access-date=19 May 2024 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}} He received 226,396 while his nearest competitor, Md Saiful Islam Firoz of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, got 9,506 votes. He was elected again in 2024 Bangladeshi general election.{{Cite web |date=6 January 2024 |title=Winner |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/election-2024/winner |access-date=19 May 2024 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}} He was the president of the Kaliganj Upazila unit of Awami League.{{Cite web |last1=Hasan |first1=Rashidul |last2=Khan |first2=Mohammad Jamil |date=22 May 2024 |title=Plot thickens over AL MP Azim going missing |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/plot-thickens-over-al-mp-azim-going-missing-3615701 |access-date=22 May 2024 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}}
Personal life
Disappearance and death
Anar went missing on 13 May 2024 after he had left the house of his Indian friend, Gopal Biswas, in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India.{{Cite web |date=19 May 2024 |title=Jhenaidah-4 MP goes missing in India, daughter seeks help from DB |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/jhenaidah-4-mp-goes-missing-india-daughter-seeks-help-db-855186 |access-date=19 May 2024 |website=The Business Standard |language=en}} The government of Bangladesh sought the support of India in finding Anar.{{Cite web |last=UNB |first=Dhaka |date=20 May 2024 |title=Dhaka seeks Delhi's support in rescuing 'missing' AL lawmaker |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/dhaka-seeks-delhis-support-rescuing-missing-al-lawmaker-3614041 |access-date=19 May 2024 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}} He had entered India on 12 May through Darshana-Gede border.{{cite news|url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/347339/mp-anar-murder-another-suspect-arrested-in-india|title=MP Anar murder: Another suspect held in India|date=24 May 2024|accessdate=24 May 2024|publisher=Dhaka Tribune}} On 22 May, Bangladesh Minister of Home Affairs, Asaduzzaman Khan, confirmed Anar's death, caused by murder in an apartment, where he went to meet a woman named Celesty Rahman in New Town, Kolkata. According to the investigations, he had been murdered on 13 May.{{Cite web |last=Hasan |first=Mahmudul |date=23 May 2024 |title=আনোয়ারুল আজীমকে খুনের জন্য 'কলকাতায় ফ্ল্যাট ভাড়া নেন আক্তারুজ্জামান' |url=https://www.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/crime/brev2vdr4a|access-date=23 May 2024 |website=Prothomalo |language=bn}}{{Cite web |last=BanglaNews24.com |date=22 May 2024 |title=Bangladesh MP Anwarul Azim found dead in Kolkata |url=https://www.banglanews24.com/english/national/news/bd/147082.details |access-date=22 May 2024 |website=banglanews24.com |language=bn}}{{cite web|url=https://www.parliament.gov.bd/member-profile/012008401/md-anwarul-azim-anar|title=Md. Anwarul Azim (Anar)|accessdate=22 May 2024|publisher=Parliament of Bangladesh}} Later on 28 May, investigators found 4 kg of human flesh in the septic tank of the New Town housing complex suspected to be of Anar's which was then sent for a forsenic test.{{cite web |last1=Gupta |first1=Saurabh |title=Flesh Found In Septic Tank Of Flat Where Bangladesh MP Was Likely Killed |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/flesh-found-in-septic-tank-of-flat-where-bangladesh-mp-was-likely-killed-5766212 |website=NDTV |access-date=31 May 2024}}{{cite news |title=Bangladesh MP murder: 4 kg of flesh found in septic tank of Kolkata complex |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/bangladesh-mp-case-4-kg-of-flesh-found-in-septic-tank-of-complex/articleshow/110511030.cms |newspaper=Times of India |date=29 May 2024 |access-date=31 May 2024}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anar, Md. Anwarul Azim}}
Category:People from Jhenaidah District
Category:Politicians from Khulna Division
Category:Awami League politicians
Category:10th Jatiya Sangsad members
Category:11th Jatiya Sangsad members
Category:12th Jatiya Sangsad members