BNP on Wednesday described the incident at Saidpur Airport involving the arrest of a Jamaat district leader with a large amount of cash as a political conspiracy to ‘obstruct BNP’s inevitable victory’.

“A quarter is trying to create various obstacles to prevent the BNP’s inevitable victory. This morning, we saw media reports that police detained the Thakurgaon district Jamaat ameer at Saidpur Airport after he travelled from Dhaka with more than Tk 50 lakh in cash,” said BNP’s Election Steering Committee spokesperson Mahdi Amid.

Speaking at a press conference at the BNP’s Gulshan election office, he raised questions about the source and intended use of the money at a time when banking and financial transactions remain largely closed to prevent illegal election spending.

“When all business activities across the country have remained closed for four consecutive days, it does not require an expert to understand what business purpose such a large amount of money could serve. This clear violation of the code of conduct shows the political and moral bankruptcy of a disconnected political group and its attempt to exert unethical influence,” Mahdi said.

He claimed that such incidents point to attempts at unlawful financial influence and moral manipulation of voters, which he said contradict anti-corruption rhetoric of Jamaat.  “It is fair to ask those who speak of justice and campaign against corruption how buying votes with money is consistent with their anti-corruption stance.”

“There is no scope to view the Saidpur Airport incident as an isolated incident. Similar illegal and unethical financial activities have also been observed in Dhaka-15, the electoral constituency of the Jamaat ameer, as well as in many other parts of the country, including Cumilla, Noakhali and Khulna,” the BNP spokesperson said.

In the past, he said, the leaders and activists of Jamaat went door to door across the country collecting voters’ mobile financial service numbers and voter IDs.

Mahdi, however, said religious-minded people have already rejected any attempt to send illegal money through bKash, Rocket or Nagad or to lure people with promises of ‘tickets to paradise’.

“We call upon the Election Commission and law enforcement agencies to further strengthen monitoring across the country against any attempt to buy votes with money,” he said.

Citing media reports, Mahdi alleged that activists of Jamaat are gathering locally made weapons, bamboo sticks, pipes and stamps in many parts of the country to spread fear among voters.

He also claimed that incidents of violence, sudden attacks, arson, voters’ intimidation and distribution of money have been reported in different districts, and many people involved in creating disorder and engaging in unethical activities in the electoral field had already been arrested by law enforcement agencies.

As an example, Mahdi said, a tragic incident occurred in Nandigram of Bogura-4, where Khalta Machhram Union BNP president Masud Rana was seriously injured in an attack by identified Jamaat cadres.

As the news spread that Masud Rana lost vision in his eye, he said the BNP leader’s mother suffered a stroke and passed away.

He strongly condemned the painful incident and demanded swift justice, calling upon the Election Commission, returning officers and law enforcement agencies across the country to treat each such incident with the highest priority and take necessary measures.

Mahdi also urged them to strengthen monitoring across the country to prevent any attempt to buy votes with money.

He also called for vigilance against fake voting, saying voter identity must be properly verified in accordance with electoral rules where necessary.

Jamaat leader Belal Uddin hospitalised after arrest ‘with Tk 74 lakh’

The BNP leader appealed to all political parties to help ensure a peaceful election atmosphere free from violence, fraud and irregularities, stressing that people’s participation is essential for restoring democratic rights.

He called upon the country’s voters to come to polling centres early; he said the upcoming vote should reflect the will and victory of the people of Bangladesh.

Several members of the BNP’s central election steering committee, including Prof Moudud Hossain Alamgir Pavel, Atikur Rahman Rumon and Zubair Babu, were present at the briefing.