Pro-BNP faction storms A. K. Azad's residence in Faridpur

The leaders and activists of a faction of BNP, led by Faridpur Mohanagar BNP Member Secretary Golam Mostafa Miraj, stormed the residence of A. K. Azad, Managing Director of Ha-Meem Group, in Faridpur’s Jhiltuli area on Thursday afternoon claiming that a secret meeting of Awami League men was being held inside the house. 

Ha-Meem Group’s Land Officer Md Rafizul Khan, Project Engineer Md Solaiman Hossain, security guard Mehedi Hasan, and cleaner Md Hannan Mia were staying at the house at that time.

Rafizul Khan said, “When some people repeatedly knocked on the gate of the house, security guard Mehedi Hasan stepped forward. At one point, when the gate was opened, some people, including Mohanagar BNP Member Secretary Golam Mostafa, Mohanagar Jubo Dal Organising Secretary Nahidul Islam Nahid and others entered the house. They threatened them by asking whether a secret meeting of the Awami League was being held in the house and at one stage, they left after finding the house empty.”

Eyewitnesses said that the BNP members then gathered outside the nearby Faridpur Land Office, forming a procession of over 100 people that marched from the Land Office to Onat-er Acharer Mor. 

The procession included Faridpur Mohanagar BNP Joint Convener Mizanur Rahman, Mohanagar Jubo Dal Acting President Ali Rezowan Biswas, Faridpur District Swechchasebak Dal Member Secretary Shahriar Hossain, and Mohanagar Chhatra Dal Acting President Munib Hasan.

While asked, Golam Mostafa Miraj claimed that they had information about an Awami League meeting at the house aimed at creating anarchy. 

During asking whether a leader of a political party could enter the house of a top businessman in the country such a way, Miraj alleged that the police were attempting to rehabilitate the Awami League and mentioned that Nayab Yusuf, daughter of the late BNP vice chairman Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf, was engaging in public relations to contest the Faridpur-3 constituency in the upcoming national elections as a BNP candidate.

Contacted, Nayab Yusuf said, "There are many houses of A. K. Azad in the city. Today, there was a procession of BNP; but I am not aware of any house where BNP leaders and activists entered."

She accused A. K. Azad of spreading confusion ahead of the election and emphasised that she does not support violence or terrorism and prohibits her supporters from engaging in such acts.

Faridpur District BNP Convener Syed Modarres Ali, who is currently in Dhaka, said he was not informed of any incident at A. K. Azad’s residence. 

Faridpur Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Asaduzzaman said, "We received information on Thursday afternoon that BNP members had gone to A. K. Azad's house. Later, police were quickly sent there. However, no one was found at the scene."