Jubo League leader Taslim Behind the Scene!

M Shahadat Hossain Taslim, an influential leader of Awami Jubo League has formed an unprecedented 'commercial syndicate' with the Holy Hajj. He is the presidium member of Jubo League, the youth organization of Bangladesh Awami League, and the president of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB). At his behest, air fares for hajj pilgrims were increased unusually. This is because he is the General Sales Agent (GSA) of Bangladesh for the Flynas Airlines, a budget Saudi Arabian air carrier.

Three airlines carry hajj pilgrims. These include Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Saudia Airlines and Flynas Airlines. Around 90 percent of Hajj passengers are expected to travel on Bangladesh Biman and Saudi Airlines flights. And Flynas Airlines is supposed to carry 10 to 15 percent passengers.

However, breaking the rules, Taslim carried more than half of the passengers of Bangladesh Biman in Flynas flight. Thus, Taslim and the members of his syndicate took hundreds of crores of Takas from the pockets of pilgrims.

After the recent fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, the Hajj agency owners have spoken out against the arbitrariness of Taslim. They demanded to save the hub and the pilgrims from the `Taslim Syndicate’.

The agency owners said that, in 2023, Hub President Taslim became the General Sales Agent (GSA) of Flynas Airlines in Bangladesh. That year, the air fare of pilgrims increased from Tk 58,000 to Tk 1,98,000. Taslim worked behind this rent upsurge. And he took the extra fare in his pocket through Flynas Airlines.

In the year of 2023 Taslim reduced the number of flights of Bangladesh Biman and carried 20,000 passengers on Flynas. The same number of Hajj passengers carried this year as well. The extra rent went into the pockets of him and his syndicate. Taslim Syndicate is the `real villain’ of airfare hike.

HAAB members complain that Taslim has held the HAAB hostage by using the influence of Jubo League's presidium membership. Therefore, people of other political ideologies cannot come to the leadership of the Hub. In this regard, Taslim was very welcomed by former finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, former Prime Minister's adviser on industry and private investment Salman F Rahman and former Feni MP Nizam Hazari.

Under their umbrella, Taslim monopolizes and continues the Hajj trade. Hub members believe that Taslim also fled the country after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government recently.

Hajj agency owners said Taslim and Awami Ulama League along with some opportunistic license owners took over the hub office in 2019. Later he declared himself as the the president of HAAB. He was assisted by the then State Minister for Religion Sheikh Abdullah(late) and Jubo League President Omar Farooq Chowdhury and Jubo League leader Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat.

The victims said that the air fare for Haj in 2019 was Tk. 1 lakh 28000 . That rent increased to Tk.1 lakh 40,000 in 2022. In the next year, the air fare increased to Tk. 1 lakh 98,000. Despite widespread criticism, the rent was not reduced. Shahadat Hossain Taslim, the leader of the Haj Syndicate, acted as the mastermind behind the fare hike.

HAAB leaders said Taslim Syndicate members have been collecting additional air ticket fare and 1 percent house rent for the last 6 years. During this time, they embezzled Tk. 7000 crore. Not only that, he made the hub office a hangout for Jubo League and Ulama League.

HAAB leaders also said that almost every evening, the Taslim Syndicate conducts alcohol-gambling in the HUB office. Currently the hub office is occupied by his committee of Ulama League and his fellow Hajj license holders. The Taslim Syndicate has smuggled Tk. thousands of crores abroad by creating a syndicate in Malaysia.

Nazim Uddin, the owner of Al Nafi Hajj Travel Agency, told a media that this syndicate must be shattered and HAAB needs to be unblemished. He also advised that Airfare should be reduced and Hajj should be made within the reach of common people.

Meanwhile, Taslim could not be contacted as he was in hiding after the recent fall of Hasina's government.