BNP-Jamaat Electoral Clash in Shariatpur: £60,000 Seized, Polling Officer Jailed

In a dramatic pre-election development in Shariatpur, Bangladeshi authorities recovered BDT 720,000 (approximately £6,000) from a Jamaat-e-Islami campaign office in the southern Baishakhipara area of Naria municipality. During the operation, a polling officer, responsible for overseeing voter activities at a local polling station, was arrested and subsequently sentenced to two years in prison.

The summary trial was conducted on Wednesday evening by Judicial Magistrate Sujan Mia, acting under the supervision of the Election Investigation and Judiciary Committee. Following the verdict, the arrested official was taken into custody by Naria police.

The convicted official, Golam Mostofa, serves as an assistant teacher at Haji Syed Ahmad Government Primary School, No. 127 in Naria. He had been deployed as a polling officer at Panchpalli High School centre.

Shariatpur-2 constituency is witnessing intense electoral competition, with eight candidates in the fray, including Jamaat-e-Islami nominee Mahmud Hossain and BNP candidate Safiqur Rahman.

Naria Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land), Laki Das, explained to First Light, “Reports indicated that Jamaat workers were distributing cash for election purposes at a private residence. Acting on this intelligence, the joint task force conducted a raid. We recovered a detailed cash distribution list, a laptop, and a hard disk along with BDT 720,000. The polling officer present could not explain his presence at the site, hence he was brought under legal jurisdiction.”

Local sources reported that Mahmud Hossain had rented a house in South Baishakhipara, Ward 1, to operate his campaign office. On Wednesday afternoon, a joint task force raided the premises, uncovering the cash and arresting Golam Mostofa, while several Jamaat activists were present.

Principal Zakaria Masud of Haji Syed Ahmad Primary School stated, “I cannot comment on the specifics of why this incident occurred. I was informed through the Upazila Assistant Education Officer.”

Meanwhile, Mahmud Hossain’s media cell chief, Masud Kabir, defended the presence of the cash, saying, “Our campaign manages 136 polling stations. The funds were intended to cover transportation and meal expenses for our staff. Unfortunately, the administration conducted the raid intentionally to tarnish our reputation, ignoring our complaints about BNP candidates distributing cash illegally elsewhere.”

Later that evening, BNP candidate Safiqur Rahman held a press conference at his Naria office, condemning attempts to influence voters with money. He urged authorities to take stricter action to protect the integrity of the election.

Summary of Seized Assets