Coffin Cloth And Threat Letter Sent to BNP Candidate

In a chilling escalation of pre-election intimidation, Shahjahan Chowdhury, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) nominee for Cox’s Bazar-4 (Ukhia-Teknaf) and district BNP president, received a direct death threat at his residence on Sunday morning. Unknown individuals, identifying themselves as ‘Battalion-71’, sent a letter accompanied by a small piece of white cloth, symbolically representing a shroud.

Mr Chowdhury filed a formal General Diary (GD) report with Ukhia Police Station, documenting the threatening correspondence.

The letter explicitly warned:
“Refrain from participating in the upcoming national parliamentary election, or your fate will be like Sharif Osman Hadi. You are under surveillance by our killing squad for the next 24 hours. Enclosed is a shroud for you.”

The letter was signed by a regional coordinator named ‘Muminul Alam’.

In his GD report, Mr Chowdhury emphasised that he is a four-time former member of parliament from Cox’s Bazar-4 and has previously served as a parliamentary whip. He noted that the letter was delivered by a messenger from the Ukhia Post Office. Upon opening it, he discovered the direct death threat and the white cloth, which he interpreted as an explicit warning.

Mr Chowdhury stated that the letter’s language suggests a premeditated conspiracy, posing a serious risk to his personal safety, social standing, and the well-being of his family, who are now living in fear and uncertainty.

Alok Biswas, Additional Superintendent of Police in Cox’s Bazar, confirmed the GD filing and assured that the police would investigate the matter and take necessary action.

The incident has intensified concerns regarding the safety of election candidates in the ongoing campaign. Law enforcement authorities have pledged to identify the perpetrators and ensure strict, exemplary measures are implemented.

A summary of the incident and relevant electoral security information is presented below:

The threat highlights the growing anxiety over candidate security in the current electoral cycle, prompting authorities to increase vigilance and safeguard democratic processes.