Jamaat Activist Held in Bogura Over Alleged Allowance Card Extortion and Vote Promise

Police have arrested a man on allegations of collecting money in a Hindu neighbourhood in Bogura Sadar by promising to arrange old-age allowance cards and by seeking assurances to vote for the scales symbol in the upcoming election.

The arrested individual has been identified as Md Moksed Ali. He is a resident of Islambur Harigari Uttar Para in Fapore Union under Bogura Sadar.

On Saturday (6 December) at noon, local protesting residents initially detained and questioned him. As the situation began to escalate towards unrest, police from Bogura Sadar police station intervened and took him into custody. The incident has caused widespread discussion in the area.

Local residents said that a few days earlier, Jamaat activist Moksed visited the Belail Hindu neighbourhood and collected photographs and voter ID cards from several elderly and widowed women, promising to arrange government allowances for them. He allegedly charged Tk 500 from each person, citing online processing costs.

While taking the money, he is also accused of enticing Hindu voters to support Jamaat’s election symbol, the scales.

After the issue became public, Moksed returned to the spot at around 12 noon on Saturday along with an elder from the area. When residents surrounded him, he returned several copies of the online application forms.

As tensions rose, many people recorded videos of the incident and shared them on social media.

Attempts were made several times to contact the Officer-in-Charge of Bogura Sadar police station for comment, but he did not receive journalists’ calls. Later, the police media chief confirmed Moksed’s arrest, describing him as a tout.

Meanwhile, information has emerged that a certain group has been trying to secure Moksed’s release from the police station and suppress the incident since it occurred.

Bogura district Jamaat Secretary A Malek stated that the arrested Moksed is not a member of Jamaat.

Khaborwala/SS