MP assaulted over fertiliser distribution
Leaders and activists of Krishak League assaulted the local lawmaker Meraj Uddin Mollah at Mohonpur upazila parishad here yesterday following an intra-party rivalry over recruitment of retailers and selection of farmers for fertiliser distribution.
The incident occurred around 2:00pm when the lawmaker from Rajshahi-3 (Paba-Mohonpur) constituency went to the upazila parishad auditorium for inaugurating the fertiliser distribution programme, said witnesses, police and party men.
The Krishak League men challenged the lawmaker for picking persons who are not farmers and asked why he overlooked local Awami League leaders while selecting retailers and farmers for fertiliser distribution.
As he continued the inauguration programme ignoring their allegations, the protesters hurled abuses at him.
Half an hour later, as the lawmaker was about to leave after cutting short the programme, the protesters caught him and dragged him by his clothes.
On-duty policemen rescued the lawmaker and took him away as the protesters were chasing the MP's vehicle.
Some of the lawmaker's close aides including Abdul Latif, Shamsul Islam, Bakul, Enamul Haque and Zamal Biswas were beaten in the incident while others took shelter at the UNO office.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Nazrul Islam said 3,535 farmers were selected from six unions for distribution of fertilisers among them during this Aus season. All the listed persons are genuine farmers, he added.
The upazila vice chairman and Krishak League president Ali Azam Mollah alleged that the lawmaker included his close aides, who are non-farmers, in the list in exchange of money.
“The MP ignored our complaints in this regard repeatedly. So he witnessed the protest,” Azam Mollah added.
Ahsan Habib, officer-in-charge of Mohonpur thana, said, “Some party men angrily raised allegations of irregularities against him”. However, he denied that the MP was assaulted.
Talking to The Daily Star, Meraj Uddin Mollah MP said many of his party men were looking for opportunities to commit irregularities.
“They raised allegations against me as they failed to stop me from preventing irregularities,” the lawmaker added.
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