The syndicate of fake nomination business has become active ahead of 12^th national election. They are grabbing huge amount of money from some people who are aspiring for nominations by showing edited photos with the powerful politicians. Some of the members of the syndicate is also taking huge money by giving fake assurance of taking the nominations-aspirants ahead in various surveys. They do it under the fake identity of influential mediamen.  

The syndicate is targeting rising businessmen and politicians and holding meetings in the capital's famous star hotels. Several people have already lost money in the clutches of this fake gang. RAB-Police operation is underway to catch the fraudsters. Meanwhile, one of the gang, Abu Hanif Tushar alias Hanif Mia (39), has been arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion-RAB. It is known that he asked Tk 300 crore to get a boat sign by identifying himself as a close relative of the Prime Minister. Before this, on October 3, Shahjadpur of Sirajganj, the fake human rights officer identified as Tashlima Khatun, Jahangir Hossain and Md Faizullah were arrested during the fraud. They were caught in Shahjadpur after extorting money from at least 30 people to get the boat sign for upcoming national elections and make the aspiring candidates ahead in the survey. It is known that as the 12th National Assembly elections are approaching, fraud circles are becoming active in the name of assuring to provide boat signs. They are targeting up-and-coming politicians, businessmen and leaders who are not very popular in the area, but own a lot of money. The fraudster showed edited pictures of the prime minister and identified him as a close relative of her. Sometimes they termed them as the close people to the politicians of the influential country or special groups. They are deceiving by telling shocking words that the list they give will be given to the Awami League chief. They are meeting at a five-star hotel in the capital. Foreigners are sometimes kept in those meetings to make themselves 'important'. And those foreigners are promoted as important people in the nomination-matters of Awami League. They are making deals worth Tk of crores by promising to get nominations, sometimes taking crores of Tk in advance.

According to some intelligence agencies, the fraudster has been targeting potential candidates from different parts of the country for six months, collecting information about them in advance. They also introduced themselves as the representative of the Prime Minister's office in some areas. The members of these circles are very good at talking. They call the aspirants to hotels or resorts in the area and talk to them. Even if they don't have popularity, they give him the assurance of making them popular. Apart from this, some people are stealing money by using the names of several leaders of the nomination board of Awami League. Sometimes they introduce themselves as personal assistants of nomination board members. And some are taking money by pretending to be very close people of them.

When asked to five presidium members and three nomination board members of Awami League yesterday about this incident, they did not agree to comment on this matter. All of them said it is true that the party chief is conducting the survey, but those who are conducting the survey never express them as the people of the surveying organization. There is no question of grabbing money. Those who are grabbing money are fraudsters. And the party president after seeing her own surveys finalized the candidate in the meeting of the nomination board. Nomination is not given on the recommendation of anyone. If anyone is involved in such transactions, Awami League will hand over both of them to the law enforcement agencies after receiving the information.

According to the sources, after the 2014 election, many leaders of Awami League who are hoping for nomination have thought that victory is guaranteed if they get a boat sign. That is why they are desperate to get the 'boat' by any means. Especially emerging businessmen, politicians are engaged in this competition. That is why they are lobbying in various ways to get the boat. Some are catching up. Some are hoping to get a boat with a huge amount of money.

(The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on October 18 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque)