Local Awami League leaders and activists staged separate demonstrations at Bagatipara Upazila in Natore in support of and against the controversial lawmaker from Natore-1 constituency, Abul Kalam Azad, on Monday.
Due to tension, police were deployed at Malanchi Bazar to avoid clashes.
Freedom Fighter Azad is the vice-president of Natore district Awami League. He won the January election as an independent MP by defeating previous lawmaker of the seat, Shahidul Islam Bakul, by a close margin.
Known as the MP’s supporter, General Secretary of Upazila Awami League Mujibur Rahman said that false propaganda was carried out against Azad. “We organized a workers' meeting to protest against this propaganda.”
At the meeting, Upazila Awami Jubo League President Nasim Mahmud urged the prime minister’s intervention. He alleged that Bakul was a Chhatra Dal leader, and his father was a Muslim League leader. Moreover, the former MP had harmed the party’s image by backing rival candidates in local government elections.
On the other hand, Bakul’s supporters staged a human chain in the same area. Upazila Awami League President Nurul Islam Thandu demanded the cancellation of MP’s seat for his speech.
Former MP Bakul did not give any speech at the human chain. He later told Dhaka Tribune that it was justified to call the current MP a corrupt and criminal as he had made outrageous comments in public.
Officer-in-Charge of Bagatipara police station Nannu Khan said they deployed two platoons of police fearing deterioration in law and order. However, the events ended peacefully.
