A Family History of Unfortunate Brushes with the Law.

The partner listed for Cllr Mumtaz Khan is a media broadcaster and CEO of ATN Bangla Hafiz Alam Bakhsh. Bakhsh is also a director of HAB Enterprise Ltd which is registered at an address declared by Cllr Khan as belonging to her partner. It is a fair conclusion that Cllr Khan’s partner is Bakhsh.

In 2011 Bakhsh was charged with conspiracy to kidnap Mahee Ferdous Jalil, who had been beaten, tortured and repeatedly asked for £250,000 ransom. It appears that Bakhsh was one of a number of men who were swindled out of a large amount of money. The fraudster was a co-director at Channel S who was operating a crash-for-cash scam. 

After a trial lasting a month Bakhsh was subsequently found not guilty at Snaresbrook Court, though one of his co-accused was sentenced to 32 years. 

It is deeply unfortunate that these lovebirds have both had unpleasant encounters with the law. 

In Cllr Khan’s case her conviction for fraud sits uncomfortably with her day job as a senior social worker for the Family Drug and Alcohol Court in Gillingham, dealing with some of the most vulnerable members in our community. Presumably the FDAC did their due diligence in recruiting her. 

We can only hope it was a turning point in her life, because people need the benefit of the doubt to live a rehabilitated life. 

Shame then, that Khan is party to the Mayor’s narrative that people who seek truth via Freedom of Information requests are hate filled misogynists. We can only think that it is to prevent the uncovering of unfortunate episodes in their personal histories.

That aint gonna work!

To quote the wise words from the Mayor, reported in the Newham Recorder:

“Listen attentively, for you are being watched and we will continue to watch you for your digressions and your missteps”.

As noted above, Bakhsh is also CEO at ATN Bangla. Coincidentally, ATN Bangla was one of the cable and satellite outlets focussing on specific subgroups in south Asian community which was used by Fiaz in her challenge to former mayor Robin Wales. The channel was a good medium for addressing recently recruited Labour Party members in the Bangladeshi community. Being a cable operation, it was not bound by any of those quaint requirements, such as balance or fairness. Consequently, while Fiaz’s supporters were frequently interviewed, for some reason Wales’ weren’t. Fiaz has continued to receive brown-nosed support from the channel since her election.

Bakhsh has had a long history in business. Most of the companies that he has been involved with, seem to have been dissolved.