Harunur Rashid | |
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হারুনুর রশীদ | |
![]() Portrait of Harunur Rashid | |
Member of the Bangladesh Parliament for Chapai Nawabganj-3 | |
In office 30 January 2019 – 8 February 2023 | |
Preceded by | Abdul Odud |
Succeeded by | Abdul Odud |
In office 15 February 1996 – 1 October 2006 | |
Preceded by | Latifur Rahman |
Succeeded by | Abdul Odud |
Personal details | |
Born | Chapai Nawabganj, East Pakistan, Pakistan | 1 January 1962
Nationality | Bangladeshi |
Political party | Bangladesh Nationalist Party |
Spouse | Syeda Asifa Ashrafi Papia |
Harunur Rashid (born 1 January 1962)[1] is a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician and the incumbent Jatiya Sangsad member from the Chapai Nawabganj-3 constituency since January 2019.
Rashid was elected to Jatiya Sangsad from Chapai Nawabganj-3 in the June 1996 Bangladeshi general election as a candidate of Bangladesh Nationalist Party.[2] He had received 77,929 votes while his nearest rival, Latifur Rahman of Awami League, had received 47,048 votes.[2]
Rashid was re-elected to the same position in the 2001 Bangladeshi general election.[2] He had received 85,489 votes while the same rival, Latifur Rahman of Awami League, had received 60,460 votes.[2]
Rashid contested the 2008 Bangladeshi general election from Chapai Nawabganj-3 as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate but lost to Abdul Odud of Awami League.[3] He received 76,178 votes while the winner received 112,753 votes.[3] Latifur Rahman of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami also campaigned against him.[4]
In November 2011, Rashid participated in a human chain protesting erosion at the Chapainawabganj Press Club.[5]
Rashid boycotted the 2014 election as per decision of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Abdul Odud of Awami League was elected to parliament uncontested from Chapai Nawabganj-3.[6]
Rashid was elected to parliament from Chapai Nawabganj-3 as a Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate on 30 December 2018.[7][8] He had received 133,661 votes while Abdul Odul of Awami League and his nearest rival received 85,938 votes.[9] He took the oath of office 90 days after the mandated time following instructions of Tarique Rahman.[10] The four Bangladesh Nationalist Party members of parliament initially refused to join parliament as they had deemed the election unfair.[10]
Rashid in parliament asked the speaker to create a committee to investigate the large number of cases filed against Bangladesh Nationalist Party politicians.[11]
Assistant director Monayem Hossain of the Anti-Corruption Commission filed a case against Rashid for tax fraud in March 2007 with Tejgaon police station and then pressed charge in July.[12][13] Rashid had imported a Hummer H2 on 25 April 2005 without paying tax as per his privilege as a member of parliament but later sold the to Ishtiak Sadek, violating the rules of the duty free facility, who sold it to Enayetur Rahman Bappi.[14][15][16] The car, imported under duty free privilege, cannot be sold under less than years of being purchased.[15] Rapid Action Battalion-2, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Akbar Hossain, had spotted the Hummer in Panthapath and asked the men to come to their camp where they were detained.[17]
In October 2019, Judge Shaikh Nazmul Alam of the Dhaka court sentenced Rashid to five years’ imprisonment for dodging taxes while importing a luxurious car in 2007 and fined him five million taka.[12] It also sent his co-accused former managing director of NTV and Channel 9, Enayetur Rahman Bappi, to two years imprisonment.[12][14] His other co-accused proprietor of Sky Autos, Ishtiak Sadek, sentenced to jail for three years.[12] A week later, the High Court granted him six months’ bail in the case.[18]
Justices Obaidul Hassan and AKM Zahirul Huq asked the government to explain why Rashid's parliamentary membership should not be canceled due to his conviction.[19][20]
On 9 December 2021, Justice Md Selim of Bangladesh High court upheld the verdict in the tax evasion case against Rashid after hearing his appeal.[21] The High Court commuted his sentence to time served.[22]
Rashid is married to Syeda Asifa Ashrafi Papia.[23]