During the first phase of the 6th Upazila Parishad Polls on Wednesday, an agent for chairman candidate Nurul Absar allegedly distributed money to voters in broad daylight in Cox’s Bazar Sadar Upazila.
A video capturing this act, which shows the agent using the electoral symbol ‘motorbike’ ID card to distribute cash at Chopadalandi Dakshin Rakhaine Para Government Primary School, quickly spread across social media platforms.
The footage prompted immediate reactions, with journalists arriving at the scene causing the accused, Masud Parvez, to retreat into the polling station. According to another agent named Arman, Parvez handed out Tk 1,000 to each voter to secure votes for Nurul Absar, a former mayor and member of the district unit of Awami League.
Despite being alerted, Sadar police station’s Officer-in-Charge reportedly did not respond to the allegations. Executive Magistrate Sajeeb Talukdar, having reviewed the video, stated that they would initiate action against the involved agent.
Nurul Absar, when approached for comment, denied any knowledge of the incident and refrained from further statements. Meanwhile, Mujibur Rahman, competing against Absar with the ‘pineapple’ symbol, confirmed that formal complaints had been lodged with the Election Officer. Presiding Officer Mahmudul Hasan also indicated that measures were being taken to address the situation.