Jamaat-aligned Barrister Shahriar hands cash to hawker, video goes viral
He explained that while campaigning in Mirpur, he encountered the vendor and learned of his poor sales throughout the day. “Considering the humanitarian aspect, I donated Tk1,000 to him,” Barrister Shahriar stated in the post.
A video featuring Supreme Court lawyer Barrister ASM Shahriar Kabir handing out cash while campaigning for Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman in the Dhaka-15 constituency has sparked a heated debate on social media over potential election code of conduct violations.
The footage, circulated on Monday, shows Jamaat-aligned Barrister Shahriar engaging a street vendor in a conversation regarding the country's political stability. When the vendor expressed fear about the future and potential government transitions, Barrister Shahriar steered the dialogue toward religious themes, asking the man, "Will you spend more time in this world or in the grave?"
During the encounter, the vendor admitted that the current situation was "not good" and that many citizens were living in fear. Barrister Shahriar responded by stating, "We are Muslims. Besides Allah, no one has the power to make things good."
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He further questioned whether the nation could prosper if it were run "beyond the dictates of Allah" and asked who controlled the vendor's livelihood. After the man agreed that one's time in the grave is longer than their time on earth, Barrister Shahriar advised him to focus on being well in the afterlife.
Shortly after this exchange, the video captures the Barrister folding a Tk1,000 note and placing it directly into the man's hand.
The clip quickly went viral, with many social media users and political observers alleging the act constituted "voter bribery" under the Election Code of Conduct, which prohibits candidates or their representatives from offering financial inducements.
The Amendment to the Code of Conduct for Political Parties and Candidates in the Parliamentary Elections, 2008 states that no candidate or any person on behalf of the candidate shall, during the pre-election period, publicly or secretly provide or promise to provide any donation or contribution to any person, group, institution located within the candidate's electoral area or elsewhere.
Stating that this act will potentially violate the electoral code of conduct, Mahdi Amin said at a press conference at Gulshan today, "A party that campaigns against corruption is now openly attempting to buy votes with money. This is a violation of electoral rules and a clear sign of moral and political failure." However, writing on his verified Facebook page, Barrister Shahriar dismissed the allegations, categorising the payment as "humanitarian aid."
He explained that while campaigning in Mirpur, he encountered the vendor and learned of his poor sales throughout the day. "Considering the humanitarian aspect, I donated Tk1,000 to him," Barrister Shahriar stated in the post.
Yesterday, in a facebook post, Abdul kader, one of the student leaders of July movement, said , "If people like Shahriar Kabir, who constantly chant moral slogans openly, try to influence votes with money like this then who knows what the rest of the party members are doing behind the scenes."
However, in his facebook post Barriester Shahriar Kabir apolozied if anyone has been hurt as a human being.
