"The attack was the outcome of the election business that took place at BNP's Nayapaltan and Gulshan offices. Their party men engaged in infighting there (Thakurgaon). There was no one from Awami League (in the attack)," Co-chairman of AL National Election Conducting Committee HT Imam told reporters after lodging a slew of complaints with the Election Commission.
He said Fakhrul went to Thakurgaon without informing the police anything.
An AL delegation, led by HT Imam, placed the complaints before Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda over the incidents of election violence and four local election monitoring organisations out of 118 registered ones.
HT Imam said certain newspapers made the attack on Fakhrul’s convoy ‘the headline’ on Wednesday without cross-checking the facts. "Such a big news item should be carried out after checking the facts which is now very easy because such news instigates others."
Mentioning that different types of terrorist incidents might happen ahead of the election, he urged the media to run news after cross-checking the facts so that peace and order is not hampered.
HT Imam, also political adviser to the Prime Minister, said they were getting the news of violence from different places of the country and attacks were largely being carried out on the AL men.
"Our two activists were killed in the meantime. Such activists are playing a crucial role in the electoral process. So, carrying out attacks targeting them is not acceptable," he said.
On Tuesday, two Awami League activists were killed in Noakhali and Faridpur in attacks allegedly carried out by BNP men.
Replying to a query over the EC role in preventing election violence, HT Imam said the Election Commission is neutral enough to this end.
He also alleged that BNP supporters unleashed attacks on AL men and vandalised their houses in Patuakhali, Fulpur in Mymensingh, Chuadanga, Manikganj, Gagni in Meherpur, Shahajadpur in Pabna and Narsingdi.
Apprising the Commission of the incidents, the AL delegation urged the Chief Election Commissioner to give directives to law enforcement agencies to identify those responsible for the incidents and take action against them.
Narrating the killing of the AL man in Noakhali, HT Imam said first pepper powder was sprayed on the eyes of the AL activist, then his head was smashed with bricks and finally he was shot to death. "What type of culture is this? We've seen this in 2013 and 2014. Pakistan occupation forces committed such activities during the Liberation War. We can in no way tolerate such things in today's independent Bangladesh."
"We've told the Commission that the law enforcement agencies are now under your jurisdiction. So, use them so that such incident doesn’t occur further," he said.
The EC assured them of taking measures in this regard and issuing directives to the authorities concerned to remain alert about the election violence, Co-chairman of AL National Election Conducting Committee said.
He said they lodged objection about the engagement of four election monitoring organisations -- Democracy Watch, Khan Foundation, Light House Bangladesh located in Bogura and Bangladesh Manobadhikar Somonnoy Parishad – in election monitoring as those are very partisan which may influence the upcoming the election.
Democracy Watch is run by Taleya Rehman and Shafik Rehman who are writing in favour of BNP and it influenced elections in many ways in the past, HT Imam alleged.
Khan Foundation is registered against the name of BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan's wife while BNP leader Tarique Rahman is the founder of the Light House and he runs it, the AL leader alleged.
Bangladesh Manobadhikar Somonnoy Parishad is owned by Adilur Rahman Khan who ran Odhikar in the past, he said.