Attack on Hero Alom: Govt clueless about how it happened
The government is embarrassed by Monday's attack on Ashraful Hossain Alom and is trying to find out who instigated the assault and why, sources said.
The government thinks the incident, towards the end of voting for the Dhaka-17 by-election, could have been staged to put the government in a spot of bother when a European Union delegation is visiting Bangladesh to assess the overall situation ahead of the next general election, the sources added.
Supporters of MP-elect Mohammad Ali Arafat, wearing badges of "boat", the Awami League's electoral symbol, assaulted independent candidate Ashraful, popularly known as Hero Alom, after forcing him to leave the polling centre at Banani Bidyaniketan School and College around 3:20pm.
"We will investigate the incident and identify those responsible for the attack during the peaceful by-election. We are trying to ascertain the motive of the attack and identify the instigators," Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters yesterday after a meeting with UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis at his Secretariat office.
"The government had made all arrangements to ensure peaceful voting. Why did the incident take place towards the end of voting?"
Asaduzzaman assured Lewis of a proper investigation into the incident and informed her about the arrest of seven people in connection with the attack.
He said the rest of the attackers would be held after analysing the footage from CCTV cameras.
Before meeting the home minister, Lewis tweeted that the UN was concerned about the attack.
"The fundamental human right of everyone to participate in elections without violence should be guaranteed and protected," she wrote.
Replying to a question, the home minister also said they would probe if there was any negligence on the part of the police. If that is the case, the cops responsible would be held accountable.
Yesterday, Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal instructed the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner to investigate the attack on Alom.
The CEC over the phone also asked the DMP chief to take stern actions against the culprits, said an EC statement.
Election Commissioner Md Alamgir termed the attack "unfortunate".
"It was an evil attempt to make the election questionable and the attempt was made when the polling was being held in a free and fair manner… we cannot accept this," Alamgir told reporters.
Mostafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Banani Police Station, yesterday said seven people were arrested in connection with a case filed over the attack on Alom.
Sujan Rahman Shuvo, Alom's personal assistant, filed the case with Banani Police Station yesterday afternoon accusing 15-20 unidentified people of assaulting Alom and attempted murder.
The seven arrestees are Sanwar Kazi, 28, Sohel Mollah, 25, Biplob Hossain, 31, Mahmud Hasan Mehedi, 27, Mozahid Khan, 27, Ashique Sarker, 24, and Md Ridoy Sheikh, 24.
Yesterday afternoon, a Dhaka court placed Sanwar and Biplob on three-day remand each after Md Nuruddin, sub-inspector of Banani Police Station, produced them before it seeking seven-day remand for each.
The five others were sent to jail.
Meanwhile, US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Monday said this type of political violence has no place in democratic elections.
He was replying to a question at a media briefing on the BNP's boycott of the by-election and attack on Alom just days after US Under Secretary Uzra Zeya's visit to Bangladesh.
Miller said, "…As we have said before, we would expect the government of Bangladesh to hold free and fair elections, and we continue to monitor it closely."
He said the US encourages Bangladesh to investigate any reports of violence thoroughly, transparently, and impartially, and to hold the perpetrators of violence to account.
Condemning the attack, Amnesty International yesterday said, "Such an attack sends a chilling message ahead of the country's next general elections … ,"
The rights body on Twitter said the authorities must "immediately and impartially" investigate the attack, and bring the perpetrators to account.
Human rights must be respected at all times, especially before, during and after elections, it added.
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