The Election Commission has removed the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Jhenaigati in Sherpur and the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Jhenaigati police station following the death of a local Jamaat-e-Islami leader in a clash between BNP and Jamaat activists during a manifesto unveiling event in the Sherpur-3 constituency yesterday.
Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed of the EC confirmed this decision during a press briefing at the EC headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka. He expressed condemnation for the incident, stating that the electoral code of conduct mandates campaigns, including manifesto unveilings, to be conducted in a peaceful manner. Regrettably, a tragic incident occurred in Sherpur’s Jhenaigati, leading to the withdrawal of the UNO and OC as part of administrative actions.
Akhtar Ahmed assured that necessary procedural steps would be promptly addressed. The clash in Jhenaigati resulted in injuries to over 50 individuals, including Jamaat leader Rezaul Karim, who succumbed to his injuries while being transported to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital last night.
Regarding journalists’ accreditation cards for the upcoming twin votes on February 12, the EC secretary disclosed that journalists would receive manual accreditation cards, similar to previous elections. Following discussions with journalists and their request, the EC will reinstate the card system, with already processed online accreditations remaining valid.
Akhtar Ahmed emphasized that efforts would be made to ensure journalists receive cards as before, though re-establishing the system might take some time.