Mohammad Aftab Alam Explained

Mohammed Aftab Alam
Native Name:मोहम्मद आफताब आलम
Office:Former Member of Parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha
Term Start:4 March 2018
Term End:13 october 2019
Constituency:Rautahat 2
Predecessor:Mohammad Mustaq Alam
Term Start1:1997
Term End1:May 2002
Predecessor1:Sheikh Idrish
Constituency1:Rautahat 2
Office2:Former Member of Constituent Assembly
Term Start2:28 May 2008
Term End2:28 May 2012
Successor2:Mohammad Mustaq Alam
Constituency2:Rautahat 2
Birth Date:19 June 1962[1]
Birth Place:Rajpur, Rautahat, Nepal
Profession:Politician
Party:Nepali Congress
Relations:Sheikh Idrish (uncle)

Mohammad Aftab Alam (Nepali: मोहम्मद अफताब आलम) is a Nepali politician from the Nepali Congress and a suspended member[2] [3] of the House of Representatives of the federal parliament of Nepal.[4] [5] He was a member of the first constituent assembly as well. He is also a former Minister for Labour and Transport Management.[6]

Career

Alam was elected from Rautahat-2 to the Pratinidhi Sabha in the 1999 election and the 2008 Constituent Assembly election but was defeated in the 2013 election from the same constituency.[7] [8]

Alam was elected to parliament in the 2017 legislative election from Rautahat-2 constituency, as a candidate from Nepali Congress.[9] He defeated his nearest rival Kiran Kumar Shah by acquiring 18,833 votes to Shah's 16,865.[10] Following his election to parliament, he was appointed a member of the House Industry, Commerce, Labour and Consumer Interest Committee.[11]

Arrest

Alam was arrested from Rajapur municipality-1, Rautahat, on 13 October 2019[12] on charges of murder and causing an explosion[3] over his alleged involvement in the 9 April 2008 bomb blast in Rautahat and the subsequent murders of the injured. According to a report by The Himalayan Times, it has been alleged that Alam had employed several people, tasked with making bombs to be used for capturing booths in the 2008 constituent assembly elections. When a bomb went off in a massive explosion that injured as many as 18 people, Alam allegedly dumped them at a brick kiln, killing them.[3] República, however, reported that 14 people died in the blast while those and an additional eight injured were thrown in the furnace of the brick kiln, murdering the injured and destroying evidence.[12] According to The Kathmandu Post, at least two victims had died in the initial explosion and as many as two dozen injured were dumped alive into the brick furnace.[13]

He was suspended from his position in the House of Representatives following his arrest.[14]

A single bench of Judge Deepak Dhakal, Rautahat District Court, denied him bail on 15 November 2019, after a preliminary hearing where Alam was allowed to make a statement.[3] Alam's lawyers had argued that there was no such bomb explosion in Rautahat in 2008, that Alam was innocent, and was being framed by the government with a fake list of victims.[15]

Notes and References

  1. Book: संघीय संसद सदस्य, २०७४ परिचयात्मक पुस्तिका . Federal Parliament Secretariat . 2021 . Nepal . 270 . ne . Federal Parliament Members 2017 Introduction Booklet.
  2. http://www.election-commission.org.np/toptwo.php Election Commission of Nepal
  3. Web site: Aftab Alam remanded to judicial custody. 2019-11-16. The Himalayan Times. en-US. 2019-11-20.
  4. Web site: House begins theoretical discussions on govt policies and programmes. kathmandupost.ekantipur.com.np. English. 2019-09-09.
  5. Web site: Mohammad Aftab Alam. hr.parliament.gov.np. en-US. 2019-09-09.
  6. Web site: Nepali labourers not wanted, says minister. 2009-08-09. The Himalayan Times. en-US. 2019-09-09.
  7. Web site: Mohammad Aftab Alam. election2013.ujyaaloonline.com. 2019-09-09.
  8. http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/content.php?nid=36915 The Rising Nepal
  9. Web site: Rautahat tense over murder, clash. 2017-12-10. The Himalayan Times. en-US. 2019-09-09.
  10. Web site: Rauthat : Province 2 – Nepal Election Latest Updates and Result for Federal Parliament. election.ekantipur.com. 2019-09-09.
  11. Web site: Industry, Commerce, Labour and Consumer Interest Committee. hr.parliament.gov.np. 2019-09-09.
  12. Web site: Ex-Minister Alam arrested in connection with 2008 'murders'. Thakur. Madan. My Republica. en. 2019-11-20.
  13. Web site: Congress MP Alam remanded in custody for seven days. kathmandupost.com. English. 2019-11-20.
  14. Web site: Parliament suspends Alam after arrest. OnlineKhabar. en-GB. 14 October 2019. 2020-12-14.
  15. Web site: No blast had occurred in 2008: Alam's lawyers. Thakur. Madan. My Republica. en. 2019-11-20.