Bodi supporters burn Prothom Alo

A group of supporters of ruling Awami League (AL) lawmaker Abdur Rahman Bodi on Thursday burnt copies of daily Prothom Alo after the daily published an investigative report on the lawmaker.

They also issued life threat to the Teknaf correspondent of the Bengali daily.

Prothom Alo published a report on Thursday that revealed that Bodi is the chief patron of crimes like human trafficking, yaba peddling, and Rohingya intrusion in the tourism town of Cox’s Bazar.
Protesting at the report, Teknaf Awami Juba League organised a meeting in front of the local AL office near the bus station area around 4:00pm.
Teknaf Juba League president Manzurula Karim presided over the meeting attended by hundreds of Bodi supporters.

Hinting at the Teknaf upazila AL unit president and former MP Mohammad Ali, former Teknaf upazila AL president Zafar Alam Chowdhury, a follower of Bodi, said, “Don’t conspire with the newspaper. Join the people if you want nomination next time.”
He accused that Mohammad Ali being jealous of Bodi’s popularity is carrying out smear campaigns against Bodi.

Addressing the protest rally, former Union Parisad member Nurul Islam alias Kalu openly threatened to kill the Teknaf correspondent of Prothom Alo and sought opinions from the AL workers present at the rally. “Giyas will be killed wherever he will be found,” he said.

Several copies of Prothom Alo were burnt during the meeting. They also brought out a procession.
Asked about the protest programme, Mohammad Ali said, “Protom Alo has published an investigation report on MP Bodi and I don’t have any connection with it.”