Kalkini mayor candidate said SP picked him up and took him to Obaidul Quader
Independent mayoral candidate of Madaripur’s Kalkini pourashava Moshiur Rahman Sobuj alleged that the police superintendent picked him up and took him to Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader. Sobuj, who was missing for around 11 hours, made this claim upon returning home.
Earlier at around 5:00pm on Saturday, Sobuj was picked up by the government vehicle of Kalkini police station’s officer in charge. He returned home at around 3:45pm.
As the news spread on Saturday, Sobuj's supporters took position in front of the police station and clashed with Awami League supporters, leaving around a hundred people injured.
Madaripur police superintendent Mohammad Mahbub Hasan told Prothom Alo at 10:00am today, “Sobuj came to my office for election-related work. He later went to Dhaka on personal work. We assisted him in going to Dhaka.”
Sobuj, on the other hand, claimed to Prothom Alo, “The SP called me in the afternoon to meet him. He sent the OC to me. OC told me that SP wants to discuss the law and order situation with me. I went to the SP office in good faith but he later took me to Dhaka in his vehicle.”
Asked why the SP took him to Dhaka, Sobuj replied, “He took me to Awami League general secretary and road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader. He asked me to comply with the party decision and work for the Awami League candidate. He requested me to withdraw from the election.”
Sobuj claimed that he talked with Obaidul Quader for around 35 minutes at the party office in Dhanmondi.
Asked if he will withdraw his candidacy, Sobuj said, “I don’t have any post in Awami League. I was a president of Kalkini upazila Chhatra League. I also didn’t seek the party nomination. I’ve filed candidacy as an independent candidate on behalf of the people. So I won’t back away at the request of the Awami League general secretary. I would participate in the polls and fight till the end.”
He also said it was not fair from the SP to take him to Dhaka that way.
Sobuj said the incident of clashes could have been averted had the SP disclosed everything before taking him to Dhaka.
Locals and witnesses said, as soon as Sobuj was picked up, the news spread that he went missing. His supporters took position in front of the police station. The agitating supporters of Sobuj resorted to vandalism. Clashes then broke out between supporters of Awami League and of Sobuj. Over a hundred people were injured at the clashes which continued for three hours.
Crude bombs were blasted and shots were fired. Over a hundred shops were vandalised and looted. Later police brought the situation under control at around 8:00pm.
At least 60 people received treatment at Kalkini upazila health complex. Two seriously injured persons were shifted to Barishal Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital and Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
According to police super Mahbub Hasan, independent candidate Sohel Rana Mithu’s supporters took position in front of the police station after Sobuj’s family left the scene. Mithu’s supporters clashed with Awami League candidate’s supporters.
He said a third party wanted to take advantage of the situation but the attackers could not do much harm due to the active role of police.