Jamaat men stockpiling bamboo sticks to intimidate voters ahead of polls, says Zonayed Saki
He alleged that these activities were aimed at creating fear among voters.
The local Jamaat-e-Islami has been stockpiling bamboo sticks at different locations in Brahmanbaria's Bancharampur to create intimidation and chaos at polling centres, alleged Zonayed Saki, the BNP alliance-backed candidate for the Brahmanbaria-6.
Jamaat candidates in various areas were calling on people to come to polling centres carrying bamboo sticks pretending to prevent vote rigging, said Saki, referring to social media posts, while speaking at a press conference yesterday in the upazila.
"Yesterday, we saw thick bamboo poles being transported by an auto-rickshaw in Bancharampur and stockpiled at different locations so that they can carry out such incidents at multiple polling centres. The auto-rickshaw carried a Jamaat-e-Islami banner.
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"When the driver was taken into police custody, a Jamaat leader at the union level went to secure his release," said Saki, also the chief coordinator of Ganosamhati Andolan.
He alleged that these activities were aimed at creating fear among voters.
"Everyone should want every voter in Bancharampur to be able to go to polling centres fearlessly and exercise their right to vote," Saki said.
Emphasising democratic process, he said that voters would choose candidates according to their will.
"If the people like us, we will win; if not, someone else will win. That is the normal process of democracy," he said.
