Bogra RO ignores Shokrana's past
The deputy commissioner (DC) and returning officer (RO) of Bogra has okayed the nomination paper of four-party alliance candidate Mohammad Shokrana although police informed him of criminal records the MP aspirant had concealed.
The DC defended his decision of rejecting an allegation against Shokrana saying the police did not give him any information about his past crimes. But documents show that on December 4 the police submitted the criminal records of Shokrana to the DC.
"The police gave information concerned and necessary papers as sought in a letter from the office of the returning officer to the police on December 3," said Superintendent of Police Md Akram Hossain.
As per the Representation of Public Order (RPO), concealing information will lead to disqualification for the parliamentary election.
A source in the election office said freedom fighter Anisuzzaman Mintu on December 3 submitted a written complaint to RO cum DC Humayun Kabir against BNP leader and candidate for Sariakandi-Sonatola constituency Shokrana.
Mintu said Shokrana in his affidavit provided some information about his involvement in crimes in the past but concealed that he served in jail when he was sentenced to life term imprisonment on charges of killing Mintu's brother Kibria.
In the affidavit he also hid the information that he was a charge-sheeted accused in the freedom fighter Anwarul Kadir Anu murder case. He also did not disclose the information that he was convicted under the Arms Act and in connection with illegal earning.
District election officials claim that Mintu in his allegation regarding six cases against Shokrana filed between 1974 and 1975 did not provide necessary papers, but Mintu trashes the claim.
"I have submitted all papers required to prove my allegations," he said.
Shokrana however revealed the concealed criminal records in a supplementary affidavit that he submitted on December 1 -- one day after the deadline for nomination filing expired.
Such additional affidavit is not supposed to be accepted by the RO unless it is accompanied by the court order. Shokrana did not provide any court order but had explained to the RO that he "forgot" to mention these facts.
An election official admitted the supplementary affidavit proves that Shokrana had concealed information in his affidavit.
A source in police said many necessary papers regarding cases about which Shokrana concealed information were collected from record room and sent to the returning officer.
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