Md. Badiuzzaman Mintu, Senior Joint Convener of the Gournadi Upazila unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in Barishal, found himself locked inside a female party colleague’s flat late on Friday night, 13 November. His two sons and several political associates later broke the padlock with an iron crowbar to free him. The episode has since triggered intense political gossip and debate across the district.
The incident unfolded in a third-floor flat of Mashallah Bhaban, located adjacent to the Gournadi Upazila Gate. According to multiple eyewitnesses and local sources, the residence is rented by a female BNP leader who joined the party following the political shift after 5 August. Rumours alleging inappropriate ties between her and several local BNP figures had already been circulating in the neighbourhood.
Sources claim Mintu entered the woman’s flat at around 11:30 pm on Friday. Alerted to his presence, local residents bolted the main door from the outside and notified activists of the Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal. By 12:30 am, Mintu’s two sons, Antor and Anjon, arrived at the building alongside a group of his political followers. Using an iron crowbar, they smashed the lock, brought him out, and whisked him away on a motorcycle. Shortly afterwards, several Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal members visited the flat and ordered the woman to pack her belongings and leave Gournadi without delay.
The late-night drama has placed local party leaders in an awkward position. Contacted for comment, Jahir Sajjad Hannan Sharif, Member Secretary of Gournadi Upazila BNP, stated briefly that he had heard of the matter from Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal activists. He declined to elaborate further.
Md. Mizanur Rahman Khan Mukul, Member Secretary of Barishal District (North) BNP, confirmed that he had intervened to manage the immediate fallout. Upon learning of the standoff, he instructed youth and student wing leaders to rescue Mintu first so the party could address the issue internally later. However, Mukul expressed frustration over how his intervention was received. “When Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal leaders went there on my instructions, Mintu’s associates misbehaved with them and even hurled verbal abuse at me,” he said.
Mintu, meanwhile, has flatly rejected the allegations, branding the entire episode a calculated conspiracy and smear campaign. Disputing the timeline presented by locals, he insisted he had visited the residence much earlier in the evening. “First of all, I did not go to that flat at 11:30 pm,” he said. “I was having tea at the Upazila Gate around 9:00 pm when the female leader phoned and invited me to her home for coffee.”
According to Mintu, he was sitting inside conversing with the woman’s son when political opponents arrived and locked the entrance from the outside, forcing his supporters to come and release him.
He attributed the incident to growing internal friction ahead of upcoming local polls. Having recently declared his intention to contest the mayoral post in the Gournadi Municipality election, Mintu alleged that his candidacy had rattled rivals within his own ranks. “They have lost their minds since my announcement, and my own party opponents are now conspiring against me,” he remarked, though he stopped short of naming anyone specifically.
