BNP calls Sherpur clash unfortunate, seeks credible investigation

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has described the violence surrounding the announcement of an election manifesto in Sherpur as unfortunate and unacceptable, and has demanded a swift, impartial and credible investigation into the incident.

Speaking at a press conference at the party’s Gulshan office on Thursday (January 29), BNP Election Management Committee spokesperson Mahdi Amin said the clash, which resulted in casualties, stemmed from a trivial issue over seating arrangements and should never have escalated into violence.

“A minor dispute over chairs led to conflict and loss of life. This is extremely regrettable and completely unwelcome,” he said.

Mahdi Amin alleged that despite designated seating arrangements for all political parties at the programme, Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists had occupied all chairs in advance and refused to vacate seats allocated for BNP members, even after repeated requests from the administration.

He said the BNP had expected a festive, peaceful and tolerant electoral environment following the mass uprising, but the Sherpur incident had undermined that expectation.

Referring to footage circulating on social media, Mahdi Amin said law enforcement agencies, the administration, the army and senior BNP leaders had repeatedly urged the Jamaat candidate to take an alternative route to avoid confrontation.

However, he ignored the requests and chose to proceed through a volatile area.

“We saw that sticks and weapons had been prepared in advance. This raises serious questions—was the violence premeditated? Who instigated it? And why did law enforcement fail to control the situation?” he said.

At least one person was killed and more than 40 BNP leaders and activists were injured in the clash, Mahdi Amin said, adding that many of the injured were in critical condition. He stressed that loss of life was unacceptable regardless of political affiliation.

Calling on the interim government to ensure accountability, he said a thorough investigation was necessary to prevent similar incidents elsewhere.

Mahdi Amin also urged stronger and more proactive involvement by law enforcement during the election period and called on all political parties to act responsibly and cooperate with the administration.

Addressing recent rallies at Dhaka University and what he described as propaganda linking BNP to isolated incidents, he said attempts to gain political advantage by promoting unfounded narratives were unacceptable.

“As the country’s largest and most popular political party, BNP’s priority is a peaceful, controversy-free and credible election,” he said.