Illegal Voting Stamps Recovered in Lakshmipur; Case Filed Against Jamaat Leader and Another

A criminal case has been filed in Lakshmipur following the recovery of six illegal voting seals, an incident that has intensified political tensions in the constituency ahead of the election. The case names two individuals, including a local leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, and is being investigated by Lakshmipur Sadar Model Police Station.

The case was lodged late on Tuesday night by Sub-Inspector Humayun Kabir of Lakshmipur Sadar Police Station. According to the first information report, the principal accused is Sohail Rana, aged 40, a businessman from Tumchar Union in Lakshmipur Sadar Upazila and the proprietor of Maryam Press. Police arrested him on Tuesday afternoon from his printing establishment on Old Court Road in the town. During the operation, officers recovered six unauthorised voting seals allegedly intended for use in an election, along with a computer and a mobile phone, all of which were seized as evidence.

The second accused named in the case is Sourav Hossain, also known as Sharif, aged 34, son of Md Shahjahan and secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami’s Ward No. 4 unit under Lakshmipur Municipality. Police claim that Sourav Hossain placed the order for the six voting seals at Sohail Rana’s press. Although he has not yet been arrested, investigators report that his mobile phone has remained switched off since the incident.

During preliminary investigations, police found several photographs linking Sourav Hossain with the Jamaat-e-Islami candidate for the Lakshmipur-3 (Sadar) parliamentary seat. These images, along with the seized equipment, are being examined to determine the motive behind the production of the seals and whether they were intended for electoral malpractice.

However, Jamaat-e-Islami has rejected the allegations. Lakshmipur Municipal Jamaat secretary Harun Or Rashid claimed that Sourav Hossain had been “falsely implicated as part of a conspiracy”. Later the same night, Jamaat-e-Islami held a press conference at the Lakshmipur Press Club. Party candidate for Lakshmipur-3, Rezaul Karim, accused BNP leaders of spreading misinformation by attempting to link the party to the recovered seals. He stated that Sohail Rana was not affiliated with Jamaat-e-Islami and that the party strongly condemned the incident, urging authorities to identify the real culprits through a fair investigation.

Earlier in the evening, BNP candidate for Lakshmipur-3, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, had addressed a press conference at his main campaign office. Expressing grave concern, he alleged that the arrested printer was a Jamaat activist and suggested that the production of voting seals indicated a broader plan of “election engineering”. He called on the administration to investigate whether any candidate or political leader was involved and to ensure exemplary punishment if wrongdoing was proven. Annie also warned that similar activities, including illegal ballot printing, could be underway and urged heightened vigilance at all polling centres.

A senior police official confirmed that the matter is being treated with utmost seriousness. Investigators are currently examining two key possibilities: whether the seals were produced merely for voter training or mock exercises, or whether they were intended for ballot manipulation on polling day. Officer-in-Charge Wahed Parvez stated that Sohail Rana admitted during initial questioning that he began making the seals after receiving an order from a man named Sourav Hossain. Police are now working to determine whether others were involved and what the ultimate purpose of the seals was.

Key Details of the Case

The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities pledging a thorough and impartial probe to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.