Independent candidate Ashraful Alam, better known as Hero Alam, who fought in the Dhaka-17 by-elections held on July 17, said that he would not join any more election under the ruling Awami League (AL) in future.
“I became a victim of beating for a third time as an independent candidate during this government’s regime. First in 2018, after the result of the Bogura by-elections was reversed despite winning, again I was a victim of thrashing in the Dhaka by-elections. I won’t race for any more election under the AL government,” he said.
Hero Alam came up with the remark while talking to journalists after a meeting with the chief of Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch (DB).
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He, accompanied by his personal assistant Shuvo, entered the DB office to help them identify the perpetrators involved with the attack on him during the by-elections.
Expressing gratitude to the DB for immediate arrests of the attackers, he said, “I was called in to identify the perpetrators who carried out the attack on me at the eleventh hour of the voting,”
He, however, raised questions over the role of on-duty Bangladesh Border Guard personnel as they didn’t get off the vehicle despite noticing the incident in front of them.
Hero Alam also held police, who were present inside the voting centre during the incident, responsible for negligence to save him from the clutches of the attackers.
He demanded exemplary punishment of the attackers suspecting that he would die in the beating.
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Replying to a question, the defeated independent candidate informed that those attacking him were supporters of the Awami League as they wore the badges of boat.
Asked about the allegations that his own supporters attacked him , Hero Alam challenged it saying that he will take all responsibility if the attackers were his supporters.
He demanded a proper investigation into the incident.
He said police completely failed to perform their duty during the attack and got no support from police.
“I wanted to know from DB chief Harun Saheb why the police were silent at the spot,” he asked.
Hero Alam, a digital content creator and social media craze, alleged that he has video footage of buying votes in exchange of money and children aged 12 to 13 cast fake votes on that day.
Thanking 13 foreign embassies and missions in Dhaka for standing by him, he said he has taken the matter positively.
Earlier last Monday, Hero Alam was attacked when he went to a voting centre to visit the Banani area.
A widespread criticism surfaced at home and abroad over the matter and many demanded justice for him.
Law enforcers have so far arrested seven people in this connection.