Bangladesh Awami League (AL)-backed candidate Motaherul Islam Chowdhury for Chattogram-12 (Patiya) constituency has alleged that Whip Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury and his son are creating panic, using government protocol and spraying bullets very often in the constituency.

The candidate was urged to withhold the facilities for whip and deposit his son’s licensed forearm at the police station concerned on the eve of the national election. 

Freedom Fighter Motaherul said these at a press conference at Chattogram Press Club in the port city’s Jamal Khan area on Sunday.

In a written statement, the AL candidate said that the whip is constantly creating panic in the area using his full facilities and protocols as whip while his son Nazmul Karim Chowdhury Sharun shoots with a licensed firearm very often.

“He and his son are also spreading fear among the voters by patrolling the area with terrorists from outside every day. The police administration is not even looking at this; rather, they are harassing the activists and supporters of the boat,” alleged the candidate.

The veteran AL leader said that independent candidate Shamsul has done nothing for the party despite being a lawmaker for the last 15 years. Rather, he expanded the way for illegal incomes through different illegal methods and irregularities in government projects.

In particular, Motaherul mentioned that Shamsul put thousands of people on the road in the name of the construction of the embankment, Patiya bypass road, expansion of the Patiya section of Chattogram-Cox's Bazar road, water reservoir, and Koyagram-Ujirpur Bangabandhu Road under two canal digging projects worth taka several thousand crores of the Water Development Board.

“People's habitations and agricultural lands were captured and no compensation was given to them. They cut the soil of people's land and put the money in their own pockets. Those who demanded compensation were harassed in different ways,” alleged the candidate further. 

The AL South district unit President Motaherul informed that Shamsul’s younger brother Nawab and nephews controlled extortion in various industrial establishments in Kolagaon and Charkanai industrial areas. 

“Whip's brothers formed a gang of land grabbers to capture the lands of people from minority communities. Many minority families went destitute due to the syndicate. His family members made Patiya a drug haven as the family now controls a drug syndicate,” he added.

Moreover, some 10 lakh pieces of Yaba tablets, under the supervision of the whip’s APS Ezaz Chowdhury were seized at Khatunganj while the whip himself admitted his involvement in the casino earlier, Motaherul went on.

The Military Pole and Jiri areas under the upazila turned into hell as gambling businesses were established by the warranted accused Liton under the whip’s son’s supervision, he stated. 

For these reasons, the general people of Patiya got infuriated and Shamsul has been facing wrath in different areas. But the whip is blaming the AL and its associate organisations for the incidents, said Motaherul.

The AL candidate also said there was no attack or incident of firing on them on Saturday. Those were expressions of resentment by the affected people.
 
“The whip has been carrying out electioneering with BNP-Jamaat men. He has already announced that if elected, his office will be the office of BNP-Jamaat. He also held a secret meeting with BNP-Jamaat men,” Motaherul added.

AL South District Unit General Secretary Mofizur Rahman, BGMEA former Vice President Nasir Uddin, Women AL South District Unit President Chemon Ara Taiuab and AL leader Ayub Ali attended the press conference, among others.