A joint convener of Uzirpur Municipality Swecchasebak Dal, the BNP's volunteers' front, has been expelled from the organisation following his arrest over allegations of secretly filming women in their homes in Uzirpur upazila of Barishal.
The accused, Bayezid Mithu, was caught trying to record a woman's private moments through a bathroom ventilator in the municipal area on Saturday night. Local people detained him, beat him up and handed him over to police.
Police subsequently filed a case against him under the Pornography Control Act and sent him to jail through a court on Sunday afternoon.
According to locals and police, Bayezid had long been accused of secretly recording women using his mobile phone through windows and bathroom ventilators of different houses without their knowledge.
There were also allegations that he used the videos to blackmail the women and tried to force them into immoral activities.
Three eyewitnesses, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the incident took place at around 10pm on Saturday when a woman from the neighbourhood went to her bathroom.
Bayezid tried to secretly record her through a gap in the bathroom ventilator. When the woman noticed him, she shouted for help, prompting local residents to rush to the spot and catch him.
They said multiple secret videos of women were found on the mobile phone he was carrying. The agitated locals then beat him up.
On information, police from Uzirpur Model Police Station reached the scene, rescued Bayezid and took him to the police station.
Police said they found numerous pornographic videos in two galleries of his mobile phone.
Officer-in-Charge of Uzirpur Model Police Station Rakibul Islam said police filed a case against Bayezid under the Pornography Control Act and produced him before a court on Sunday afternoon, which sent him to jail.
Meanwhile, the Barishal district unit of Jatiyatabadi Swecchasebak Dal announced his expulsion in a press release issued on Sunday.
The statement said Bayezid Mithu, joint convener of Uzirpur Municipality Swecchasebak Dal, had been expelled from all levels of the organisation, including its primary membership, over specific allegations of involvement in activities contrary to party discipline.
The decision was approved by Barishal district Swecchasebak Dal Convener Rafiqul Islam Joni and Member Secretary Md Kamrul Ahsan.
The press release was signed by Zahidul Islam Khan Bappi, the district unit's in-charge office secretary.