Kushtia BNP leader assaulted after asking Mufti Amir Hamza to avoid political talk in mosque
A 3-minute-29-second video of the incident has since gone viral on social media, sparking widespread discussions.
A local BNP leader was assaulted allegedly by followers of Islamic preacher Mufti Amir Hamza at the Boria Jame Mosque in Kushtia Sadar upazila after he requested the preacher not to make political remarks during a religious sermon.
The incident took place around 4:30pm yesterday (25 October) after the Asr prayers.
A 3-minute-29-second video of the incident has since gone viral on social media, sparking widespread discussions.
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The video shows Mufti Amir Hamza delivering a sermon when the victim, Shahjahan Ali Hannan, president of both the Bottoil Union BNP and the mosque, stood up and said, "Huzur, please continue your religious discussion, but avoid political statements."
Immediately afterwards, a section of the worshippers became agitated and began shoving Hannan, forcing him out of the mosque.
Speaking to The Business Standard, Hannan said, "I am the mosque's president. No one informed me that Amir Hamza would come. After he began speaking, I just asked him to avoid political topics. But some people got furious and attacked me."
He claimed that most of those present inside the mosque were unfamiliar faces. "Except for a few locals, most seemed affiliated with Jamaat-e-Islami."
"However, Mufti Hamza later expressed regret over the incident," Hannan said, adding that he had informed the district BNP leadership.
Condemning the assault, Bottoil Union BNP General Secretary Haji Md Anisur Rahman said, "Such treatment towards him [Hannan] is unacceptable and vindictive. A mosque is for Islamic discussions, not politics."
Kushtia District BNP Member Secretary Engineer Zakir Hossain Sarker said, "There is nothing wrong with asking someone not to make political comments in a mosque. We are monitoring the situation, but the party will not make an official statement right now."
Meanwhile, several attempts to reach Amir Hamza for comments were unsuccessful.
When contacted, Kushtia District Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary Suja Uddin Joarder, however, claimed he was unaware of the incident.
According to media reports, Jamaat has announced Amir Hamza as a potential candidate for the Kushtia-3 (Sadar) constituency in the upcoming national election.
