35 injured in attack on BNP aspirant Dola's motorcade in Cumilla

At least 35 people, including Samira Azim Dola, an aspirant of BNP's nomination for Cumilla-9 constituency (Laksham-Monoharganj), were injured after her motorcade came under attack in Cumilla's Laksham on Sunday afternoon, November 9.

The incident occurred in Chhangaon village under Kandirpar union in the upazila around 1:00pm.

Other injured include BNP leaders Jashim Uddin, Abdul Halim Nuru, and Shamsul Haque, and Juba Dal leaders Abul Kashem, Faisal, Jahidul Islam, Sagar, Parvez, Alauddin, Mantu and Morshed Alam.

Dola's followers Jashim and Jahidul said the BNP picked Abul Kalam, industry affairs secretary of the party’s National Executive Committee, for Cumilla-9 parliamentary seat. After she was denied nomination, Dola has been observing various programmes at the field level since the last week in aspiration of getting final nomination.

In continuation of this, she began leaflet distribution and yard meeting at Kandirpar union around 11:00am, and when her motorcade was heading towards Chhangaon, the supporters of Abul Kalam, also president of Laksham upazila unit BNP, attacked her motorcade, they said.

They threw brickbats, and vandalised vehicles and motorcycles of Dola and her activists, leaving at least 35 individuals, including her, injured, Jashim and Jahidul added.

Also Read:

Cumilla-9 nomination row: Supporters of BNP’s Dola block road

Samira Azim Dola, the daughter of late Colonel (retd) M Anwarul Azim, former lawmaker and former Cumilla divisional organising secretary of BNP's National Executive committee, alleged the attack was carried out in the direction of Abul Kalam, and his follower Mosharraf Hossain Mushu led the attack.

"His (Abul Kalam) intention was to kill me and my follower Haji Jashim Uddin. They committed the act out of fear of my popularity. I want justice from party's acting chairman," she said.

Mushu could not be reached over the phone for comments.

Refusing the allegations, Abul Kalam said Dola's supporters scuffled themselves while distribution meat after slaughtering a cow.

He also claimed that when his supporters tried to spot them after being informed, a chase and counter-chase happened between them and his four followers were injured.

Zahid Patwary/MSU