Clashes break out at constituency re-demarcation hearing
Scuffles broke out during a hearing on constituency boundary re-demarcation ahead of the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election.
The hearing began at 12:00 noon today, Sunday, at the election commission (EC) office in Agargaon, Dhaka. The incident occurred around 1:00pm during the session.
Md Ataullah, joint chief organiser of the National Citizen Party (NCP), alleged that he and his party members were attacked by former BNP lawmaker Rumeen Farhana and her party supporters.
Rumeen Farhana, however, claimed that Ataullah was not a familiar face.
“I don’t know whether he came from the NCP or the Jamaat. But first, he pushed me. My people could not just sit idle after that. They responded," she added.
A video shown by Ataullah depicts Rumeen Farhana standing in front of the stage, while Ataullah is seen lying on the floor behind her, being kicked and punched by several individuals.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Ataullah said, “During the hearing, Rumeen Farhana presented her arguments. But when I tried to present mine, she pushed me down and seized the stage. Then her supporters started kicking me like a football. Just like Chhatra League members used to crush us on campus, they trampled me in front of everyone. They tore my punjabi, and I was injured in the hand.”
When asked what the election commission did at the time, Ataullah replied that the EC did not allow anyone else to speak afterward.
He claimed Jamaat-e-Islami was also not allowed to speak, besides BNP.
Aminul Haque Chowdhury, NCP’s chief coordinator for Bijoynagar upazila in Brahmanbaria, told Prothom Alo, “Our demand is to keep Bijoynagar intact. Rumeen Farhana filed an application to carve out three unions.
"When we went to present our arguments, she and her thugs attacked us in front of the chief election commissioner and other commissioners. The way they trampled us in front of everyone proves that fair elections will never be held in this country.”
Responding to NCP leaders’ allegations, Rumeen Farhana said, “The problem is that he (Ataullah) is not a known face. I don’t know if he’s from NCP or Jamaat. But he—wearing a white Punjabi—pushed me first. Then obviously my people wouldn’t sit idle. I am a woman. And later when my people were attacked, they responded too. It’s that simple.”
She further claimed that Khaled Hossain Mahbub Shyamal, president of Brahmanbaria district BNP and a possible candidate for Brahmanbaria-3, had entered the EC building with hired thugs.
“When I stood up to speak, someone shoved me to the ground. The very BNP workers for whom I fought for 15 years are now pushing me. If I am pushed, there will naturally be a push in return. That’s what happened,” Rumeen said.
On the boundary issue, Rumeen Farhana said, “Khaleda Zia has always said BNP wants to contest elections on the pre-2008 boundaries. The current boundaries were drawn by a fascist government for its own interest, and we do not accept them. That is why we want a return to the pre-2008 demarcation.”
The EC’s draft proposal cuts three unions—Budhanti, Chandura, and Harashpur—out of Brahmanbaria-3 (Sadar-Bijoynagar) and attaches them to Brahmanbaria-2 (Sarail-Ashuganj). Rumeen Farhana supports this change.
Commenting on the scuffle, Khaled Hossain Mahbub Shyamal said, “What really happened here was a verbal altercation between NCP and Barrister Rumeen Farhana. It was unfortunate and undesirable. At this level, such incidents are very regrettable. … The commission conducted the hearing. There was some commotion, during which our opponents presented a lot of false information which had no logical basis. We believe these three unions should remain with Sadar-Bijoynagar.”