The 11-party electoral alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami raised concerns today about the handling of clashes at an election manifesto reading event in Sherpur, which resulted in the death of a local Jamaat leader. The alliance criticized the inaction of the administration and law enforcement agencies during the clashes, suggesting that timely intervention could have prevented the escalation of the situation.
Accusations were also made against local BNP leaders and activists for allegedly provoking the violence. The alliance called for an investigation into what they perceived as a “failure” on the part of the upazila administration and urged immediate corrective actions.
These statements were made during a press conference held at Jamaat’s central office in Moghbazar, Dhaka. Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair, Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General and head of its central publicity department, expressed disappointment that the incident had disrupted the anticipated festive atmosphere leading up to the national parliamentary election.
The deceased, Maulana Md Rezaul Karim, 42, secretary of Jamaat’s Sreebordi upazila unit in Sherpur, reportedly succumbed to injuries sustained during clashes with BNP activists at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital around 9:45 pm the previous night, as stated by Nuruzzaman Badal, Jamaat candidate from Sherpur-3 (Jhenaigati-Sreebordi).
Zubair highlighted the lapses in the response of the administration and law enforcement agencies, emphasizing that police intervention could have prevented the tragic outcome. He criticized the passivity of the police and administration, noting that army personnel had to intervene to control the situation, resulting in an injury to one army member.
The incident raised significant concerns about the performance of the police and the overall administration, prompting questions about their roles in such situations.
