List carrying supporters' signatures snatched, alleges AL rebel candidate for B'baria-3

Firozur Rahman, an aspiring independent candidate of the Jatiya Sangsad polls for Brahmanbaria-3 (Sadar-Bijaynagar), has alleged that a list carrying signatures of 1% voters in the constituency supporting him has been snatched by unidentified youths. 

"Some youths stole the list carrying signatures of 250 voters on Thursday morning from one of my activists, Mohibur Rahman, while he was on his way to the returning officer's office. The incident took place at Khalkata area of Sultanpur Union of Sadar upazila," he told reporters on Thursday.

Firozur, a rebel Awami League candidate, filed a verbal complaint over the alleged incident to the superintendent of Brahmanbaria police, deputy commissioner and returning officer.

The voters' signatures are mandatory to file nominations for independent candidates who have not previously been elected as a member of parliament.

Firozur is a former member of the district unit of the Awami League. He recently resigned from his post of upazila parishad chairman to run in the Jatiya Sangsad election.

He is considered a strong challenger to the incumbent MP for Brahmanbaria-3 Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, who is also the Awami League nominated candidate for the seat.

Alleging that the incumbent MP's supporters were involved in the snatching of the list containing his supporters' signature, he alleged that the list was snatched to prevent him from participating in the polls.

"I have heard that the voter list was snatched with the help of Abu Musa Ansari, the personal assistant of the current MP. This has been done so that I cannot participate in the election."

However, Musa Ansari denied any involvement in the alleged snatching.

"He is saying different things at different times. Once he said the people of Khalkata snatched it, then he said the people of the Chinair area did it. Another time he said my people took it. Why would I have it snatched? His words are incoherent," said Abu Musa Ansari.

Firozur Rahman's worker, Mahibur Rahman, provided his account of the incident, stating, "We were going on a motorcycle with the voter list. On the way, seven or eight people, including a youth named Obujh, stopped us at the bridge in Khalkata. They snatched the list signed by the supporting voters and took it away."

Brahmanbaria Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Shakhawat Hossain, confirmed that Firozur Rahman had informed him verbally about the snatching. "Firozur Rahman has verbally informed me that a few pages of the voter list have been snatched. However, he has additional copies of the list. He also said that he himself can recover the snatched list," the SP said.