# Mohammad A. Arafat

Mohammad A. Arafat (born 2 May 1973) is a Bangladesh Awami League politician and academic. He is a former Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and a former Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Dhaka-17 constituency in 2023–2024. He is wanted by the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide.
During his tenure, Arafat defended his government's response to the 2024 Bangladesh Quota Reform Movement, attributing the unrest to the involvement of third-party actors, including extremists group. However, a report by the OHCHR found evidence of brutal and systematic repression of the protests by his government. The Managing Director and CEO of the Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) alleged that Arafat directed temporary suspensions of broadcasts from four private television channels on multiple occasions during the protests through WhatsApp messages. He has been the subject of significant public outrage because of many of his statements and "Alo Ashbei" WhatsApp group during the protests.

## Career

Arafat was born on 2 May 1973 to Habibun Nisa and Mohammad Setab Uddin in Rajshahi.
Arafat is a syndicate member and chief advisor to the board of trustees of the Canadian University of Bangladesh. Studied from Texas A&M University at Prairie View and Oklahoma State University.M Arafat holds advanced business degrees from Texas A&M University at Prairie View and Oklahoma State University. He is the founder of Suchinta Foundation. He endorsed Annisul Huq for the North Dhaka mayoral election.
Arafat has called for stronger ties with India and allowing transshipment of goods.
Arafat called Reza Kibria, a son of former finance minister Shah A M S Kibria, a traitor for complaining about the human rights situation in Bangladesh to the United States. He criticized the United States for placing sanctions on the Rapid Action Battalion and described Gano Adhikar Parishad as a none threat to the Awami League government.
Arafat was made a member of the Central Working Committee of the Awami League in December 2022. In September 2022, the government of Bangladesh dismantled the existing trustee board of Manarat International University alleging it had links with Islamist militants and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. Mayor of North Dhaka and Awami League politician Atiqul Islam was appointed chairman and Arafat was appointed a member of the newly created trustee board.
Arafat is the chairman of the Dhaka-based nonprofit social-advocacy organisation, the Suchinta Foundation. The foundation has, among others, done extensive advocacy work in poverty eradication in Bangladesh through entrepreneurship development.
Arafat is a two-time member of the Jatiya Sangsad, elected from the Dhaka-17 constituency as an Awami League nominee in the 11th and 12th parliaments respectively in the space of 5 months and both times without any competition from major opposition parties. He is also a member of the Awami League's central working committee.
He acknowledged concerns over the shooting of Abu Sayed, describing it as possibly unlawful, and stated that an independent judicial committee had been formed to investigate the incident. He also affirmed his government's commitment to a transparent investigation into the violence during the quota reform movement.

## Controversy

During the 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement, Arafat said to journalists,
   The terrorists of BNP-Jamaat are creating chaos on the streets and destroying state property. It has been proven that many of the students were on drugs, as if they were preparing to step forward in front of the police. You all know that previously, terrorist attacks have happened in various countries around the world. During 9/11, for example, in America, they too were on drugs.
His remark of calling the protesters "drugged" caused significant public outrage against him. Another such statement by him that caused public outrage against him during the 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement was,
   Even if rubber bullets are fired every second, it would take 5 years to finish.
He was part of a WhatsApp group with figures from the entertainment industry, who actively opposed the student movement. This group was called "Alo Ashbei," and was led by actor Ferdous Ahmed. Following the non-cooperation movement, screenshots from this WhatsApp group were leaked on social media on September 3, 2024, revealing discussions that included inflammatory remarks against the protesters.
After the 2024 non-cooperation movement and the fall of the Sheikh Hasina led Awami League government, the 12th Jatiya Sangsad was dissolved on 6 August 2024; Mohammad lost both his membership in the Jatiya Sangsad and his ministerial position. On 12 August, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit ordered all banks to freeze the accounts of Arafat and his wife, Sharmin Mustary.
It has also been reported that he ordered the shutdown of private TV channels on many occasions during the 2024 Bangladesh Quota Reform Movement.
Regarding the nationwide internet shutdown during the 2024 Bangladesh Quota Reform Movement, Arafat said, "Miscreants torched Data Centre to detach country". It was later found out in a probe report that the shutdown was government enforced and Arafat misled the nation by falsely linking the data centre fire to the internet shutdown.
He has been sued in a case concerning the death of Jagannath University student Ikramul Haque Sajid, who was shot during a protest in Dhaka's Mirpur-10 area. On 20 August 2024, a case was filed against Arafat in connection with the death of a vegetable seller during the protests, and the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit subsequently requested banks to freeze Arafat's accounts amid ongoing investigations into his activities. Despite media reports of his arrest on August 27, 2024, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police later clarified that they had no information confirming his apprehension. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police couldn't find him after a raid in his Gulshan residence. 54 criminal cases have been lodged against him. The Anti-Corruption Commission found evidence of the former minister to have had a foreign citizenship during his time in office which is illegal for Member of Parliaments according to Article 66 of the Bangladesh Constitution. Arafat has been named in a petition which seeks an investigation into genocide and crimes against humanity in the Bangladeshi International Crime Tribunal. The International Crimes Tribunal has issued an arrest warrant for him.

## Personal life

Arafat married Shomi Kaiser, actress and daughter of Shahidullah Kaiser and Panna Kaiser, on 24 July 2008. They divorced in 2015. He later married Sharmin Mustary.