Seven arrested over attack on Hero Alom

Seven people have been arrested in connection with the attack on Ashraful Alom, better known as Hero Alom, while the independent candidate was leaving a polling centre in Banani during the Dhaka-17 parliamentary by-election.

Police are reviewing video footage of the incident to identify the other assailants, Additional Commissioner Harunor Rashid said at a media briefing on Tuesday.

Legal action will also be taken to address any neglect of duty on the police's part, according to him.

However, Hero Alom has not lodged a complaint over the matter, reports bdnews24.com.

"We are trying to get in touch with him. If he doesn't file a case then we will see what action we can take after consulting with the higher-ups."

In a video depicting the incident, Alom was seen being shoved to the ground and punched by a group of assailants before jogging away from the attackers. He later received medical attention at a hospital.

Alom, who rose to prominence as a social media personality, boycotted the election after the attack and vowed not to contest any election held under the Awami League government.

The ruling Awami League’s Mohammad Ali Arafat ultimately won the by-election, which had a meagre turnout of 11.51 per cent.

After the polls, Arafat condemned the attack on Alom and said, "I call for legal action against those involved in the attack on one of the candidates. If they are our party workers, organisational action will be taken by the party. I want the truth to be revealed.”

The United States has called on the Bangladesh government to conduct thorough and impartial investigations into any reports of violence in the wake of the incident.

"I would say that this type of political violence has no place in democratic elections," said Matthew Miller, a US Department of State spokesperson, when asked about the incident during a press conference in Washington on Monday.