A major controversy has erupted in the Barguna-2 constituency following inflammatory remarks made by a local individual, Md. Afzal Hossain, during an election rally for Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
The incident occurred on Thursday evening at the Dowatala School ground in Bamna Upazila, during a campaign event for the Jamaat-nominated candidate, Dr. Sultan Ahmad.
Inflammatory Statements
During the rally, it was announced that Md. Afzal Hossain had joined Jamaat-e-Islami. Addressing the crowd, he made several provocative statements regarding the country’s constitution and minority representation.
“In a country where 80 percent of the people are Muslims, there can never be a non-believer or ‘indecent’ parliamentary representative. Even the current constitution cannot remain,” Afzal Hossain stated.
He further advocated for strict Sharia-based punishments, saying, “What rule will prevail? The rule of Allah’s Quran. If hands are cut off for stealing today, will there be any more theft in this area? We want that rule.”
Political Backlash
The remarks have drawn sharp criticism from political opponents. Advocate Saymon Rahman (Munna), a member of the BNP election management committee for Barguna-2, termed the speech a “clear violation” of the election code of conduct.
“The Jamaat candidate, Dr. Sultan Ahmad, was present on stage but did not protest these heinous and reprehensible statements,” Munna said, demanding legal action against both Afzal Hossain and Dr. Sultan Ahmad.
Candidate and Official Response
When asked for clarification, Dr. Sultan Ahmad distanced himself and the party from the comments. He claimed that Afzal Hossain is a retired local elder who spoke out of “emotion.”
“He is a new person; we only met him yesterday. Our leaders did not make such statements. If you look at my own speech, I didn’t even mention the names of opposition candidates,” Dr. Sultan Ahmad said, adding that Afzal’s formal joining process with the party had not been completed.
Md. Palash Ahmed, the Bamna Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and Assistant Returning Officer, stated that the authorities are aware of the matter. “We have heard about the incident. Legal action will be taken if a written complaint is received,” he confirmed.
Efforts to contact Md. Afzal Hossain for direct comment were unsuccessful.
