Saidpur episode exposes Jamaat’s moral bankruptcy, systematic violations: BNP
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has condemned the alleged arrest of a Jamaat-e-Islami leader carrying more than half a crore taka in cash at Saidpur airport on the eve of the national election, declaring the incident evidence of the rival party's "moral bankruptcy" and systematic violations of electoral conduct.
Speaking at a press conference in Gulshan on Wednesday afternoon, Mahdi Amin, spokesperson for the BNP's central election management committee and adviser to the party chairman, asserted that the timing and scale of the cash seizure defied legitimate commercial explanation. With banks, financial institutions and business activity suspended for four consecutive days to prevent illicit election financing, he argued the funds could only have been intended for vote-buying.
"It does not require expertise to recognise that such a substantial sum cannot serve any lawful commercial purpose during a nationwide financial shutdown," Amin stated. "This brazen breach of the electoral code reveals both the bankruptcy and the immoral influence of a political force isolated from the masses. Those who posture as anti-corruption champions must answer how purchasing votes aligns with their professed principles."
The BNP spokesperson framed the Saidpur incident as part of a broader pattern of electoral misconduct. He cited reports of similar financial irregularities in Dhaka-15, Comilla, Noakhali and Khulna constituencies, alongside allegations that Jamaat activists had previously collected voters' mobile financial service details and national identity numbers. "Our religious citizens have already rejected such temptations," he added, referring to attempts to distribute money via bKash, Rocket or Nagad platforms.
Amin further accused elements linked to Jamaat of stockpiling bamboo poles, iron pipes and crude weapons to intimidate voters, alongside reports of arson, ambushes and ballot tampering across several districts.
He referenced the case of Masud Rana, a union BNP president in Bogura-4, who reportedly lost his eyesight following an attack by alleged Jamaat assailants, an incident that subsequently led to his mother's fatal stroke. The party demanded expedited judicial proceedings.
The spokesperson called on the Election Commission, returning officers and law enforcement agencies to treat each violation with "utmost seriousness". He also raised concerns about potential voter impersonation, noting reports of mass burqa and niqab production. While affirming the BNP's respect for Islamic modesty traditions, he urged presiding officers to verify the identity of any voter whose appearance raises suspicion, proposing identity confirmation protocols conducted by female officials in accordance with electoral rolls.
Additional allegations included the seizure of counterfeit election seals in Lakshmipur, with a detained printing press owner reportedly confessing in court to producing them on instructions from a Jamaat-linked figure, supported by WhatsApp records and physical evidence.
Positioning the BNP as the standard-bearer of democratic restoration after fifteen years of alleged electoral suppression, Amin appealed for a peaceful polling environment. "This election is not merely about casting a ballot," he declared. "It is a struggle to reclaim the rights and freedoms of every citizen – a determination shared by the mothers of martyrs and the disappeared to build the Bangladesh they envisioned."
He urged citizens to vote early on Thursday morning and called on state institutions to uphold electoral integrity. "A free, fair and acceptable election will restore sovereignty to the people," he said, predicting an inevitable BNP victory reflected in public sentiment, domestic and international media assessments, and cross-communal support spanning Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and indigenous communities across plains and hills alike.
The twelfth national parliamentary election is scheduled for Thursday, 12 February.