Elias Mollah
Elias Uddin Mollah | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Bangladesh Parliament for Dhaka-16 | |
| In office 29 December 2008 – 6 August 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Post Established |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 March 1971 Dhaka, East Pakistan, Pakistan |
| Political party | Bangladesh Awami League |
Elias Uddin Mollah (born 2 March 1971) is a Bangladesh Awami League politician and a former member of Jatiyo Sangshad representing the Dhaka-16 constituency.[1][2] He was elected from Dhaka-16 constituency.[3]
Biography
[edit]Elias was born to Harun Rashid Mollah, who was also an MP,[1] and Ajma Begum.[4] His paternal grandfather, Qudratullah Mollah, served as president of Mirpur union parishad for 27 years straight. Elias attended National Bangla High School.[5] He has not studied beyond intermediate level.[1]
Controversies
[edit]2014 Kalshi clashes
[edit]In 2014 he was accused of being involved in an arson attack on a refugee camp of Stranded Pakistanis in Mirpur, Dhaka in which 10 people died.[6][7] Mollah denied involvement and blamed a "vested conspiracy" against him.[8]
Racism
[edit]In 2015 Elias made racist comments about black people.[1] After a recent trip to the Congo, he said to journalists:[1]
Our army has gone there (Africa) to civilise those black people. I am sure they will accomplish the task.
He constantly referred to the Congolese as "uncivilized black people" and added "People there are yet to become civilised. They take bath every 15 days. After applying soaps before bath, they do not even use water in a bid to retain the aroma."[9] When pointed out that he was being racist and whether the UN had entrusted the Bangladeshi peacekeepers with the responsibility to make Africans "civilised", Mollah said, "No... we are only assisting them to get civilised."[1]
Corruption allegations
[edit]In 2016 he was accused of attempting to illegally occupy private homes.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "Awami League MP Elias Mollah calls Africans 'uncivilised' after UN peacekeeping mission tour". bdnews24.com. 4 August 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
- ^ "Constituency 189_10th_En". Bangladesh Parliament. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
- ^ "Biharis point fingers at Elias". The Daily Star. 16 June 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "PM mourns death of Elias Mollah's mother". The New Nation. 23 January 2017.
- ^ Hossain, Shakawat (10 September 2013). "National Bangla High School: An institution with a difference". The Guardian. Dhaka.
- ^ Ahmed, Farid. "10 killed in Bangladesh arson attack". CNN. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "Motive to grab camp's land". The Daily Star. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ Chowdhury, Kamran Reza (23 June 2014). "Bihari Camp Arson Attack: Elias Mollah denies role". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
- ^ Liton, Shakhawat (5 August 2015). "Opinion: Shouldn't AL MP Elias apologise?". The Daily Star. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ^ "Allegation of house grabbing against MP Elias' followers". Prothom Alo. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.