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The assailants allegedly told him that the poll centre was no place to make a TikTok video before attacking Alom and his supporters
Published : 17 Jul 2023, 05:19 PM
Ashraful Alom, popularly known as Hero Alom, an independent candidate in the Dhaka-17 parliamentary by-election, has allegedly been assaulted outside a polling centre.
The incident occurred in front of the Bidya Niketan School and College centre in Banani during the vote on Monday afternoon, according to witnesses.
His chief election agent, Md Elias, accused activists of the ruling Awami League of leading the attack.
Alom, who contested the election with the 'ektara' symbol, was later admitted to the Better Life Hospital in Rampura, Elias said.
Witnesses said Alom was taking a selfie with a few people on the school grounds when a group of assailants surrounded him. They allegedly told him the poll centre was "no place to make a TikTok video" before launching an attack on Alom and his supporters.
A video clip of the incident showed Alom getting shoved to the ground and punched. Some of the attackers were also seen carrying sticks.
Alom eventually escaped the scene.
WHAT A SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO SHOWS
In a video depicting the incident, Alom and his supporters are seen leaving the centre when he is rushed by a group of men.
The attackers push and snatch at him as he stumbles to the ground and his glasses are knocked off. They then surround him and lash out with punches and kicks.
Alom’s supporters come to his aid, surrounding him and trying to clear the path in front of them. They continue down the street until a man smacks Alom in the back of his head. With hands protecting his head, the Dhaka-17 candidate keeps moving.
After a brief pause, the attackers surround him again, beating him until he falls down. His supporters pull him up and push him out of the melee.
Alom then starts to jog away from his attackers pursued by his supporters and the media.
Mostafizur Rahman, chief of Banani Police Station, said Alom visited the poll centre with a group of YouTubers around 3:30 pm.
"He got into an argument with people outside the centre. At one point, they began chasing him.”
No formal complaint was filed over the matter, said Dhaka's Additional Regional Election Officer Farid Ahmed.
"We heard that Hero Alom was attacked. But we haven't received any written complaint yet."
Returning Officer Munir Hossain Khan is also aware of the incident. "Around five or 10 minutes before the end of voting, I received reports about an attack on the road outside the Banani Bidya Niketan centre,” he said.
"The police have been instructed to find out what actually happened. We will take the next step after investigating the matter.”
Earlier, the social media personality alleged that his agents were barred from entering poll centres.
“People are being thrown out of poll centres when they say they are affiliated with the ektara [Alom's election symbol] or Hero Alom," he said while visiting the Banani Model School voting station.
"This means that there is an effort to stamp votes for one particular side."
Alom, however, was not able to cast a ballot in the election as he is registered to vote in Bogura. However, he visited various centres to assess the situation.
Despite concerns about 'vote rigging' and the abuse of agents, Alom cut a defiant figure. "Whether I accept the result or not is another thing. But I will be here until the very end."
“We want to see how much they can oppress me. If votes are forcefully stamped, the people of the country will see that, along with all the other injustices against me."
