MP Mustafizur Rahman 'threat' to fair polls: Police

The Special Branch of Chattogram Metropolitan Police has filed a report calling Mustafizur Rahaman Chowdhury, the member of parliament for Chattogram-16 (Banshkhali) constituency, a "threat" to free and fair elections.

The report was issued on 22 December after Mustafizur allegedly threatened Banshkhali Officer-in-Charge Tofail Ahmed over the phone for accepting a case filed by his rival candidate Mojibur Rahman's supporters.

A general diary has also been filed with the police station over the threat. 

The report was sent to the returning officer on Sunday, confirmed Chattogram Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Abul Basar Mohammad Fakhruzzaman.

He said the Election Inquiry Committee has been tasked with investigating the matter.

However, when approached for comments, OC Tofail Ahmed and Additional Superintendent of Chattogram District Police (Special Branch) Abu Taib Md Arif Hossain declined to provide any statements.

According to local and police reports, supporters of independent candidate and Chattogram South Awami League unit Vice-President Mojibur Rahman clashed with the supporters of Awami League candidate Mustafizur Rahman on 19 December.

A case was filed by a man named Harunur Rashid, representing the Awami League candidate, accusing nine named and 30 unnamed individuals for the clash. 

Two days later, another person named Belal Uddin filed a case accusing 11 named and 50 unnamed individuals on behalf of an independent candidate for the Chattogram-16 seat.

According to the CMP report, the AL candidate allegedly called the Banshkhali OC around 3pm on 22 December and threatened him upon learning about the case lodged against his supporters.

Mustafizur Rahman could not be reached by TBS despite repeated attempts. 

Previously, he violated the election code of conduct while submitting nomination papers to the returning officer on 30 November.

At the time, a broadcast journalist Rakib Uddin questioned him on the spot, triggering a violent response from the lawmaker. Supporters of the MP also joined him in assaulting the journo there.

Consequently, the Election Commission instructed Banshkhali upazila election officer to file a case in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Chattogram over the incident.

A case related to the assault on journalists and the violation of the code of conduct has been filed against Mustafizur in the Chattogram court. On Tuesday (26 December), Banskhali Upazila Election Officer Muhammad Harun Mollah filed the case with Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Deb's court.

Following a hearing, the court acknowledged the alleged offence by MP Mustafizur and issued a summons for his appearance on 3 January.

Confirming these developments, Chattogram District Public Prosecutor Advocate Sheikh Iftekhar Saimul Chowdhury said, "The court issued summons against the accused. However, legal action will be taken against 20 to 30 unmanned persons based on the journalists' complaints.