No scope to view Saidpur Airport incident as 'isolated episode': BNP's Mahdi Amin

BNP Election Management Committee spokesperson and BNP chairman’s adviser Mahdi Amin today urged political parties to help ensure a peaceful election environment.

He said parties must prevent fraud and protect a festive and spontaneous vote.

“From BNP, we call upon all democratic political parties: let us ensure a peaceful election environment, not violence. Let us maintain mutual coexistence and cordiality,” Mahdi said at a press conference at the party chairman’s Gulshan office.

He also referred to the Saidpur Airport incident, saying there was “no scope” to view it as an isolated episode. Mahdi alleged that a group was trying to create obstacles ahead of the polls in the face of BNP’s "inevitable victory".

Citing media reports about a Jamaat-e-Islami leader, he said questions had arisen over how a top district-level Jamaat leader was travelling from Dhaka to Thakurgaon on the eve of the election with a “huge sum of money”.

He said the move came when banks, financial institutions and business activities were shut to prevent illegal money transactions during the polls.

“Where is this money coming from, what is the purpose, and who was it meant for?” he said.

Police detained Thakurgaon district Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Belal Uddin Prodhan with around Tk 74 lakh at Saidpur Airport around 12:00pm today.

Mahdi also termed it a breach of the electoral code of conduct and claimed it showed the “bankruptcy” of a party “detached from the people”, and an attempt to spread “unethical influence”.

He also questioned what he called a contradiction between Jamaat’s rhetoric on establishing justice and fighting corruption and the alleged use of money to buy votes.

Mahdi further alleged that similar incidents of illegal financial transactions had been seen in Dhaka-15, the constituency of Jamaat’s ameer, as well as in other areas, including Cumilla, Noakhali and Khulna.

Citing media reports, he claimed that in many places “terrorists” of a political party were stockpiling bamboo sticks, pipes, stamps and locally made weapons to spread fear among voters.

He alleged that incidents of violence, sudden attacks, arson, voter intimidation and money distribution had taken place in different districts, and that several people linked to such activities had been arrested by law enforcement agencies.

As an example, he mentioned an attack in Bogura-4, saying Jamaat “identified terrorists” attacked Thalta-Majhgram Union BNP president Masud Rana in Nandigram, leaving his eye “seriously damaged”. He condemned the attack and demanded swift justice.

Mahdi urged the Election Commission, returning officers and law enforcement agencies to treat each incident with the “highest importance” and take necessary action quickly.

Referring to an earlier incident in Lakshmipur, Mahdi said a printing press owner was arrested after illegal voting seals were recovered and later gave a confessional statement in court, claiming the seals were made on the instruction of a leader of “that party”. He said this was evidence of a plot to influence the election.

He also framed the vote as a chance to protest attempts to demean women by limiting working hours, denying nominations and using insulting language, adding that BNP chairman Tarique Rahman was committed to ensuring women’s rights.