From 2001 to 2006: MP Shahidul established a reign of terror by beating police, grabbing land and extortion

Even before becoming MP from the Patuakhali constituency in 2001, Shahidul Alam Talukdar used to live in a rented tin-shed house in front of the Upazila Parishad. But his fortunes changed overnight after he became MP from BNP. He owned crores of taka through corruption, government land grabbing, TR-Kabikha looting and extortion through his terrorist forces. Within a very short period, he built a beautiful two-storey house on 46 decimals of land in Banglabazar of the city and bought an aristocratic flat in Banani. He started moving with Pajero and built a market and houses at Kalisuri port by grabbing vested property.

After the caretaker government came to power, the Prothom Alo published a report about it on March 15, 2007. According to the report, the tyranny of Shahidul Alam Talukdar became so unbearable that the people of his own party also staged a demonstration against him, demanding ‘Shahidul-free Baufal’ in 2005. Torture against the opposition party and beating police and journalists were among his daily routines.

After becoming an MP, Shahidul formed various committees of Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal with marked terrorists in the area to use them for distributing TR KABIKHA KABITA, tender, lease, and extortion in his constituency. Local people named those terrorists 'Kamair Pur of MP'. If the police caught any of his terrorists, MP Shahidul himself would snatch them away. Later, RAB arrested these terrorists during the caretaker government.

On May 8, local lecturer and journalist Manzoor Morshed was beaten and injured when several journalists were ousted from the area for reporting his misdeeds in 2002. Then he kept the press club and lock and key. In 2004, Shahidul entered the Baufal police station and beat OC Kazi Hanif. His cadre force also beat up a minority Awami League activist brutally.

Though he went into hiding in the area after the caretaker government came to power, ordinary people used to fear him always. They said Shahidul turned the quiet Baufal city into a city of fear and terror.