2 candidates allege intimidation by local lawmaker

Two union parishad (UP) chairman aspirants in Satkania upazila under the district yesterday alleged that the local lawmaker and police are threatening them to withdraw their nomination papers in the upcoming by-election for the post.

The post recently fell vacant after the local government ministry terminated the incumbent chairman Mozaffar Uddin as he is on the run for a long time and accused in numerous sabotage cases in the area.

The Election Commission declared October 28 as the election date.

Three local Awami League leaders Nurul Alam, Ramzan Ali and Moklesur Rahman Zaker are contesting for the chairmanship of Kanchana UP in Satkania upazila.

Ramzan Ali and Nurul Alam in a press conference at Chittagong Press Club yesterday alleged that local MP Abu Reza Mohammed Nezamuddin Nadvi, also a ruling AL leader, is creating pressure on them to withdraw their nomination so that his relative Mokhlesur Rahman Zaker get elected as UP chairman.

“After the election date was declared the MP asked us not to take part in it as his relative Mokhlesur Rahman Zaker is contesting. As we declined to withdraw our nomination he threatened us to put on crossfire. But we did not yield and the MP is harassing us with the help of police,” said Nurul Alam.

"Five adherents of Nurul Alam were arrested when they were returning from an election campaign on October 19. They were implicated in a concocted auto-rickshaw theft case," Ramzan and Alam said in a written statement.

“The Officer in Charge (OC) of Satkania Police Station is directly involved with this, taking side with the MP to keep us away from the election. We have informed the police superintendent, IGP, DIG, and the Election Commission of the incidents but to no effect,” goes the statement.

They demanded withdrawal of the OC from the police Station.

Contacted over phone, both MP Abu Reza Mohammed Nezamuddin Nadvi and OC Farid Uddin Khandakar refuted the allegations.

The MP said Ramzan Ali and Nurul Alam are trying to contest the UP election defying the decision of the district committee of AL.

The OC said, "I am not intimidating anyone with false case and arrest. The people arrested on October 19 are local criminals. Such drives and arrests will continue.