Jamaat leader among two sued over illegal election seals in Lakshmipur

Police have filed a case against businessman Sohel Rana and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Saurav Hossain Sharif over the recovery of six illegally made election seals in Lakshmipur.

Sohel Rana was arrested and produced before a court on Wednesday afternoon, Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Finance) Hossain Mohammad Raihan Kazemi said on Wednesday.

The case was filed on Tuesday night by Sub-Inspector Humayun Kabir of Lakshmipur Sadar Police Station.

Sohel Rana, a resident of Tumchar village under Lakshmipur Sadar upazila, owns Mariam Printers located on Puratan Adalat Road in the town. Acting on a tip-off, police seized six election seals, a computer, and a mobile phone from his shop.

Police said evidence from Sohel Rana’s WhatsApp messages and voice recordings linked Jamaat leader Sharif to the case. Sharif is the ward secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami in Ward No. 4 of Lakshmipur municipality and son of Md Shajahan of Dakkhin Bancha Nagar.

Investigators said Sohel Rana made the seals on Sharif’s order.

Following the seizure, BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami held separate press conferences on Tuesday night, presenting differing claims. BNP Joint Secretary and ‘paddy sheaf’ candidate for Lakshmipur-3 Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee alleged that Sohel Rana is a Jamaat worker.

However, Jamaat candidate for the same constituency and Dhaka North Metropolitan unit secretary Rezaul Karim denied any links between Sohel Rana and the party.

Lakshmipur Jamaat Ameer SUM Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan said Sharif had been expelled from the party following the incident.

Additional Superintendent of Police Kazemi said Sohel Rana would give a statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.