Ex-AL MP Bodi accused of firing blank bullets at Teknaf Upazila chairman

Former Awami League MP Abdur Rahman Bodi has been accused of firing blank bullets at Nurul Alam, the current chairman of Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf Upazila.

Alam said he filed a complaint at the local police station over the incident that occurred in the Upazila’s Whykong Union around 10:30pm on Thursday.

Alam is also a chairperson candidate in the upcoming Teknaf Upazila elections while Bodi is the former MP from Cox’s Bazar-4 constituency.

Bodi denied Alam’s allegation.

Teknaf Police Station chief Mohammad Osman Goni said he had received the complaint from Alam.

Describing the incident, Alam said, “I met the deadline to submit my nomination papers on Thursday. Then I went to meet the leaders and activists who support me in Whykong Union when Bodi and my rival chairman candidate Zafar Alam arrived at the scene in a car carrying a parliament secretariat sticker provided to MPs. They fired two rounds of blank bullets, but they did not hit me.”

“I immediately contacted the emergency helpline service 999 and got away safely when the police arrived at the scene. I have also filed a written complaint to police on the matter.”

Alam also claimed that Bodi is threatening his supporters in addition to using the car with a Secretariat sticker to campaign for Zafar, the other chairman candidate in the Upazila.

When asked about the allegation, Zafar said, “The alleged shooting incident is completely false. On the contrary, Alam grabbed one of my supporters. After hearing the news, Bodi Bhai and I went there. There was no gunfire.”

Bodi also claimed that the allegation was fabricated. “No shots were fired but two crackers made a sound during the incident.”

Legal action will be taken after an investigation into the incident, Teknaf police chief Goni said.