M Elias Ali
| Former Member of Parliament |
| Politician |
Full Name: M Elias Ali
Affiliation: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)
Position Held When Disappeared: Organizing Secretary
Date of Birth: January 1, 1961
Date of Disappearance: April 17, 2012
Place of Birth: Bangladesh
Home District: Sylhet
Constituency: 230, Sylhet-2
Term: First (8th-2001)
Nationality: Bangladeshi
Profile:
M Elias Ali (1 January 1961 – disappeared 17 April 2012) was a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) politician and member of the Member of Parliament (2001–2006) representing the Sylhet-2 constituency. He served as the Organizing Secretary of BNP.
Ali was a student of the University of Dhaka.He started his political career in 1980 with the student wing of the BNP, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD). He lived in Kobi Joshim Uddin Hall of Dhaka University. In a couple of years, he became leader of the dorm and in 1983 became a central executive member of Chhatra Dal.
In 1986, the National Council of JCD was held, where Ali was elected as the International Affairs Secretary of the Central Executive Committee. At that time, JCD was the most powerful student political organization in the country. Hossain Mohammad Ershad was elected as president in 1986, although BNP boycotted the election. While recognizing that Ershad had restored some political rights, BNP and the Awami League heightened political pressure to fully restore a parliamentary democracy in the country, and both had many students willing to protest for the cause. In 1987, Ershad ordered the expulsion of nine JCD student leaders from the Dhaka University, including Ali. He was arrested in 1988 for political activities. After seven months of prison, Ali was released from jail by the order of the Bangladesh Supreme Court. He was repeatedly arrested and released on bail.
In February 1990, Ali was arrested while JCD prepared for a protest march. After his arrest, violence increased on campus at Dhaka University, with conflict between students and police. In July 1990, Ali was released from jail by order of the Bangladesh Supreme Court.
In 1992, the national council of JCD was held and Ali was elected General Secretary of Jatiyotabadi Chhatra Dal. Ali was elected in 2001 to the 6th Parliament as a representative of the BNP. He hails from Bishwanath Upazila and represents Sylhet-2. He won by approximately 49,000 votes.
At the 5th national council of the BNP, on 8 December 2009, Ali spoke as president of Sylhet district. On 1 January 2010, Ali was chosen as Organizing Secretary of the BNP.
In late 2011, Ali organized a day-long hartal (strike) and protests in the Sylhet district on December 1 to protest the Indian project. His programme also included mass rallies over several days, with participation by the BNP student group, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), as well as a rally and procession by Jatiyatabadi Shecchasebak Dal, and other front organizations. He urged all political parties to protest the Indian project. He said that, if the dam were not stopped, the protest movement would continue.The strike and protests proceeded without violent incident. Ali announced the BNP would stage other events, such as a human chain, hunger strike and grand rally at Amalshid, where the Barak River enters Bangladesh.
On 17 April 2012, Ali disappeared after last being seen in Dhaka at midnight with his driver. His private car was found by police near his Dhaka home, but the two men remain missing since. No groups took credit for his disappearance, nor was a ransom asked for.
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