Once an obscure deputy jailor during Sheikh Hasina’s incarceration under the 2007-08 caretaker government, Mahabubul Islam rose to astonishing prominence in Bangladesh’s prison administration following the Awami League’s return to power in 2008. Now, he has vanished-reportedly fleeing to Turkey with his family members by investing his dirty cash in the country that allows any corrupt individual, money-launderer, gangster and even jihadist-terrorist in living in Turkey as ‘second-home’.

According to official sources, Mahabubul Islam alias Mahbub fled Bangladesh on August 3, 2024 along with his family members when a prominent figure in an Islamist organization informed him about possible fall of Hasina’s regime “by the first week” of that month.

From 2009 to 2024, Mahbub has siphoned hundreds of millions of dollars to a number of countries, including Turkey, while he has also purchased huge volume of properties in Bangladesh.

As there is growing allegations of corruption, abuse of power, and an active investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), legal experts said, Bangladesh can issue warrant of arrest against Mahabubul Islam and publish the notification on websites of Bangladesh Police, Rapid Action Battalion, Anti-Corruption Commission, Ministry of Home Affairs, Directorate of Prisons and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the same time, Dhaka can officially request Ankara to deport Mahabubul Islam along with his family members and send them to Bangladesh.

During the political turmoil of the “One-Eleven” era, Sheikh Hasina was detained at Comilla Central Jail. At that time, Mahabubul Islam served as a deputy jailor. Prison sources claim he gained Hasina’s trust through personal care and frequent communication-a relationship unusual and inappropriate in the strict dynamics of a prison environment. That bond would later prove highly lucrative for Mahabubul, laying the foundation for his meteoric rise.

Following the Awami League’s electoral victory in December, 2008, Mahabubul Islam was rapidly promoted to the position of jailor. From there, he allegedly amassed influence well beyond his rank, manipulating the prison system and leveraging his proximity to the Prime Minister to build an empire of corruption.

“He became someone who could get anything done inside the prison system,” said a former colleague who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Insiders claim Islam had free access to Sheikh Hasina’s official residence, Ganabhaban. With this access, he allegedly ran illicit appointment and transfer trades, controlled prison tenders, and built a vast patronage network.

“He was so powerful that even SP (Superintendents of Police) and DC (Deputy Commissioners) could be transferred through his recommendation”, said a senior Awami League official. “He had the Prime Minister’s ear, and many feared his influence”.

Through this influence, Mahabubul Islam is said to have accumulated substantial wealth. In his home district of Narayanganj, he reportedly constructed a luxury duplex and established multiple industrial ventures-far beyond what his official salary could justify.

On August 3, 2024, Mahabubul Islam suddenly disappeared from his post. Initially, he maintained limited contact with colleagues through WhatsApp but soon became completely unreachable. Attempts to contact his family via known mobile numbers also failed.

Eight months later, sources confirmed that Mahabubul and his family had fled to Turkey. A senior official at Comilla Central Jail said Mahabubul ignored multiple show-cause notices from the prison directorate, and to date, no disciplinary actions have been taken against him.

“He was last assigned to Comilla Central Jail as a jailor on May 12, 2024,” said a senior jail official. “Soon after taking charge, allegations of serious irregularities and corruption surfaced. Then, he simply disappeared”.

Sources within the Awami League claim Mahabubul fled just two days before the final stage of student-led uprising on August 5, 2024, that forced Sheikh Hasina to escape to India. There is speculation that Mahabubul might be now funding anti-government activities sitting in Turkey, while he may also assign various terrorist gangs towards subversive acts.

Despite the seriousness of the accusations, including bribery, manipulation of prison operations, and unaccounted wealth, the government has remained largely silent. The Anti-Corruption Commission has received multiple complaints against Mahabubul Islam, including claims that he acquired property abroad-specifically in Istanbul. However, no formal charges have been announced.

A deputy jailor from Comilla Central Jail, speaking anonymously, stated: “We tried for months to reach him and his family, but none of the phone numbers worked. Through unofficial sources, we came to know that he is now living in Istanbul with his family”.

Md. Abdullahil Al-Amin, the current jailor of Comilla Central Jail, confirmed Islam’s prolonged absence. “He has been missing from duty for eight months. We informed higher authorities and sent repeated letters, but received no response from him. Now, senior officials must decide what action to take”, he said.

When questioned about the corruption during Islam’s tenure, Mr. Al-Amin refused to comment, citing that the matter remains under review.

Mahabubul Islam’s journey-from a mid-level prison official to a behind-the-scenes power broker, now a fugitive-exemplifies the deep-rooted dysfunction and patronage system embedded in Bangladesh’s political and administrative machinery. His case raises disturbing questions: How could a jailor accumulate such unchecked authority? Why did no oversight body intervene earlier? And more critically, how many others are operating with similar impunity?

As the Awami League’s hold on power continues to weaken and demands for accountability grow, the Mahabubul Islam saga might serve as a tipping point for broader institutional reform. For now, however, the man at the center of one of Bangladesh’s most brazen abuse-of-power scandals remains far from the reach of the very system he once manipulated with ease.

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