Jumbangla Desk: He used to buy paddy and rice at retail in different markets of Naogaon. They used to deliver them in bullock carts to various places including Dadpur, Neetpur, Saraigachi and Sapahar. This is how he became a seasoned rice trader. Such was the story of the beginning of the life of former food minister Sadhan Chandra Majumdar. In the eighties, he called a paddy threshing machine in Niamatpur, Naogaon. Then he slowly got involved in politics. In 1984 he first became UP Chairman and then Upazila Chairman. He became a Member of Parliament for the first time in 2008 from Naogaon-1 Constituency. He was the full minister of the food ministry for 5 and a half years from 2018. To immortalize himself, he named a 32 km road from Niamatpur Tin Matha Junction to Porsha as 'Bir Muktijoddha Sadhan Chandra Majumdar Road'.

Sathon

Meanwhile, after becoming a minister, Sadhan's wealth increased hundredfold. Allegations of reckless commissions from the development works of the area and the ministry, control of rice and rice syndicates across the country, corruption in rice importation, various irregularities and corruption including the occupation of ponds, reservoirs and land in the area have been alleged against him. He was also the sole ruler of Naogaon politics. His brother Manoranjan alias Mana Majumder, nephew Rajesh Majumder, daughter Trina Majumder were also involved in these irregularities and corruption. All of them are now in hiding after the fall of the government. Sadhan's two houses are locked in Shibpur of Niamatpur upazila of Naogaon. There is no movement in the house of Naogaon city either.

Local residents including Naogaon Awami League leaders and activists said that Sadhan was raised by the late leader of Awami League, Abdul Jalil. In 1984, Sadhan was elected as the chairman of Hajinagar UP of Niamatpur, his home area. At that time he had no house to stay in Naogaon town. Sadhan lived in Abdul Jalil's warehouse. At that time, Abdul Jalil used to take care of Naogaon's business and work as a bazaar of his house. With the blessings of Abdul Jalil, Sadhan first became the general secretary of Hajinagar Union Awami League. He gradually became the district Awami League's publicity secretary and later the organizational secretary. While Abdul Jalil was still alive, he became the joint general secretary of the district Awami League. After the death of Abdul Jalil in 2014, Sadhan became the General Secretary of Naogaon District Awami League. After that, he never looked back. Rezaul Islam, a former member of Naogaon District Awami League, said that Sadhan Babu has made a family syndicate to control everything since becoming a member of parliament. The party's leaders and activists could not reach him. Removed me from the district committee and from the directorship of the chamber. He tortured many but no one dared to protest.

Khalekuzzaman, former senior vice-president of Niamatpur Upazila Awami League, said that under the influence of power, Sadhan Babu made his brother Mana Majumdar the joint general secretary of Upazila Awami League, younger daughter Trina Majumdar as member of district and upazila Awami League and elder daughter Kaveri Majumdar as vice-president of district women's Awami League. Sadhan Babu traded extensive nominations for various UP and upazila chairman posts in the district.

Talking to some auto rice mill owners in Rajshahi region, Sadhan himself and his brother Mana Majumder controlled everything from 2018 until the fall of the government. Traders used to stage dharna at Mana to get allocation of rice import from India. For this he had to pay a hefty commission. Mana Majumdar was the last word in internal collection of paddy and rice. In the last few years, a few mill owners and rice traders in Naogaon and Bogra, close to Sadhan, have been given exclusive import allocations. Dozens of mill owners in Bogra, Naogaon, Kushtia, Dinajpur and Chapainawabganj, close to Sadhan, have controlled the rice stock and market.

Talking to several food officials, it is known that nephew Rajes, daughter Trina and son-in-law Abu Nasser (PS) have engaged in recruitment, promotion, posting and transfer of food department in the ministry. Especially in the post of officer-in-charge of warehouse (OC-LSD), food inspector, upazila-district and regional food controller, the trade was up to crores of taka.

The Sadhan family has been accused of occupying public and private ponds and reservoirs in Sapahar, Porsha and Niamatpur in three upazilas of Naogaon. It is known that there are more than 6 thousand government ponds in these three upazilas. In the last 15 and a half years, the upazila administration could not lease the government pond without the consent of Sadhan's brother Mana Majumdar and nephew Rajesh.

Abdul Hakim, a fish farmer of Niamatpur, said that no government pond auction was held publicly. Sadhan Syndicate used to grow fish in some ponds and gave money to others. We fish farmers could not afford to go near the pond.

Local residents also said that they had to pay money to Mana, Sadhan's brother, not only for the lease of ponds and water bodies, but also for the lease of the bazaar in the area. According to Mona's instructions, the market auctions were shown on paper and pen. Mana would give the lease of the bazaar to the one from whom he got more money.

Abdus Samad, a Porsha businessman, said that the government has lost tens of millions of rupees in revenue due to the rigging of haat-bazaar auctions in three upazilas.

It is known that during the parliamentary elections in 2008, Sadhan's movable and immovable assets were 10 lakh 43 thousand 500 taka. He used to earn two and a half lakh taka per year. After serving as a member of parliament for three terms and as a minister for one term, in the affidavit given in December 2024, his wealth increased to Tk 10 crore 23 lakh 18 thousand 660. At this time, Sadhan's annual income stood at more than four crore rupees. As such, his wealth has increased 99 times in the last 15 years. And the annual income increased more than 157 times. ACC is currently investigating his illegal assets.

I don't care, don't play with me: Shakib

Residents of Shibpur in Niamatpur Upazila of Naogaon said that Sadhan Chandra Majumdar inherited the small business of paddy and rice of his father Kamini Kumar Majumdar. Sadhan Majumdar is eighth among nine siblings. Their original residence was Chaumuhani in Noakhali. Sadhan's father Kamini Majumder moved here when Hindu-Muslim riots broke out there in 1946. Sadhan was born in Shivpur. Father had only 4 bigha paddy land in the area. Now his family owns hundreds of bighas of land. Besides, there are several houses and land in Naogaon city and flats in Dhaka. On the night of October 3, Sadhan Chandra Majumdar was arrested in the capital. When he called the mobile number of his brother Mana Mazumder to know about these complaints, it was found to be switched off. His Facebook ID and WhatsApp were also not found active. Among other family members, the mobile numbers of nephew Rajesh Majumder, daughter Trina Majumder and son-in-law Abu Nasser Beg were also found to be switched off. Apart from this, no one was found in the house of Naogaon town of Sadhan and Shibpur village of Niamatpur. As a result, it was not possible to get any comments.