Joint forces have recovered Tk7,20 lakh from a Jamaat-e-Islami election office in the South Baishakhipara area of Naria municipality in Shariatpur.
A mobile court has sentenced a polling officer, who was arrested during the raid, to two years’ imprisonment for violating the electoral code of conduct and suspicious presence.
The convicted individual is Golam Mostafa. He is an assistant teacher at Haji Syed Ahmed Government Primary School in Naria and was appointed as a polling officer for the upcoming election at the Panchpalli High School center in the upazila.
The sentence was delivered on Wednesday evening by Sujan Mia, a judge of the Election Inquiry and Adjudication Committee. The convicted teacher, Golam Mostafa, has been sent to jail via Naria Thana police.
According to administration sources, the joint forces conducted a raid on that election office in Ward No 1 of Naria municipality based on information that money was being distributed there. During the raid, Tk7.20 lakh, laptops, hard disks, and a list of money distribution were seized.
Naria Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Lucky Das said, “We went there upon hearing news of money distribution. A government teacher, also a polling officer, was found there. As he could not provide a satisfactory answer for his presence at that location, he has been brought under the law.”
Masud Kabir, head of the media cell for Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Mahmud Hossain, has claimed this raid is “motivated”. He said, “That money was kept for the travel and food expenses of workers from 136 centres. The administration has carried out this raid unjustly based on complaints from the BNP.”
He further alleged that, during the raid, BNP supporters attacked their leaders and activists.
On the other hand, following this incident, BNP candidate Shafiqur Rahman claimed in a press conference on Wednesday night that Jamaat is attempting to influence voters with money. He called upon the administration to become stricter.
