Law enforcement officers have arrested SM Farooq Hossain, the finance secretary of the Boalmari Upazila unit of the Awami League and former chairman of the Ghoshpur Union Parishad, in connection with an anti-terrorism case.
The arrest was executed on Wednesday night from an area adjacent to the Bhimpur Market within Ghoshpur Union. According to police sources, the detainee faces a total of six formal charges, including allegations of murder, terrorism-related offences, and illegal explosives usage.
Multi-jurisdictional Charges and Allegations
Superintending officers at the Boalmari Police Station confirmed that Mr Hossain has been linked to several severe criminal incidents spanning multiple sub-districts. In 2025, a specific anti-terrorism case was filed against him at the local police station regarding organized acts of political violence. Furthermore, he is named as a principal accused in an explosives case lodged in neighbouring Alphadanga Upazila following the major political shifts of 5 August. Police records indicate that he is also implicated in four additional criminal proceedings, including a high-profile double murder case.
Commentary from local political opponents highlights the broader socio-political tensions in the area. Nazrul Islam, a local leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in Ghoshpur Union, publicly accused Mr Hossain of maintaining a reign of terror throughout his tenure in office. According to Mr Islam, the former chairman was heavily involved in illegal sand extraction (balumahal), unlawful land grabs, forcible seizure of wetland fisheries (beels), and systematic electoral malpractice at polling stations. Mr Islam further alleged that Mr Hossain operated with near-total impunity due to his well-known patronage and close association with the former Minister for Fisheries and Livestock, Abdur Rahman, during the previous administration.
Judicial Proceedings
Commenting on the operation, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Boalmari Police Station, Mostafizur Rahman, confirmed that the former union chairman had long been regarded as a central figure in local unlawful activities.
“SM Farooq Hossain, a known figure in several illicit operations, was taken into custody on Wednesday night,” stated OC Mostafizur Rahman. “He currently faces six separate cases, including charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act. He will be produced before the Faridpur Judicial Court on Thursday to face formal charges.”
Following the arrest, police patrols have been intensified in Ghoshpur and surrounding localities to prevent potential public order disturbances or retaliatory violence. The judicial magistrate is expected to hear the initial bail application and prosecution remands upon Mr Hossain’s transfer to the court on Thursday morning.
