Chowdhury’s supporters demonstrated in front of the Banshkhali UNO office on Thursday demanding Jahidul’s removal
The demonstrators included followers of the Awami League chairman candidate for Baharhchharha union council and Chowdhury’s aide Tajul Islam, and Chowdhury’s uncle Rashid Ahmed, the unopposed chairman-elect of Saral union.
“The Upazila election officer is part of the Jamaat cadre. No one will go to the election under his supervision. We want his immediate removal,” Ahmed said.
Earlier, MP Chowdhury raised the same allegation against Jahidul.
A former leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League in Dhaka University, however, said Jahidul was a member of the Awami League’s student affiliate.
“Jahidul was a member of my committee. He is from Gopalganj. He is a very good boy,” Delwar Hossain, who was president of the BCL’s Dhaka University committee from 2002 to 2006, told bdnews24.com
Besides the Awami League candidate, Tajul, there are two rebel candidates of the ruling party and another from the BNP in the union.
Jahidul alleged the MP and his henchmen beat him up at the UNO’s office for “not appointing election officials in line with a list provided by Tajul”.
The Election Commission later postponed voting in all union councils in Banshkhali.
Over 700 unions across Bangladesh, including 14 in Banshkhali, were set to go to the polls on Jun 4 in the last phase of the Union Parishad vote.