Sherpur Clash Triggers Senior Officials’ Recall

The Election Commission (EC) has ordered the withdrawal of two senior local officials in Sherpur’s Jhenaigati upazila following a violent political clash that left a Jamaat-e-Islami leader dead. The officials concerned are the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Ashraful Alam and the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Jhenaigati Police Station, Nazmul Hasan. The decision was announced on Thursday at the Election Commission building by Senior Secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat, Akhtar Ahmed.

Addressing journalists, the senior secretary described the incident as “deeply deplorable” and inconsistent with the principles of the electoral code of conduct. He noted that election rules clearly require campaign activities, including the reading of party manifestos, to be conducted in a peaceful and cordial environment. In Jhenaigati, however, that standard was not maintained, leading to an escalation of tensions and ultimately to loss of life.

According to Akhtar Ahmed, the Election Commission has sought detailed reports from the Returning Officer and the relevant adjudication committee regarding the circumstances surrounding the clash. Once those reports are reviewed, the Commission will decide on further measures. Nevertheless, he said, the immediate withdrawal of the UNO and the OC was necessary in view of apparent failures in administrative oversight and law-and-order management during a sensitive electoral event.

Subsequently, the Ministry of Public Administration issued a formal notification withdrawing UNO Ashraful Alam from his post and appointing him as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at the ministry. The notification instructed him to relinquish his responsibilities in Jhenaigati by the end of the day. Failure to comply, it warned, would result in him being treated as automatically released from duty the following day.

The violence erupted on Wednesday afternoon in the Sherpur–3 (Sreebardi–Jhenaigati) parliamentary constituency. The clash occurred during an election manifesto-reading programme organised by the Jhenaigati upazila administration. What began as a dispute over seating arrangements between activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami quickly turned into a physical confrontation. In the ensuing violence, Maulana Rezaul Karim, secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami’s Sreebardi upazila unit, was fatally injured. He was also a lecturer at Fatehpur Fazil Madrasa. His death sparked widespread concern and renewed debate over the enforcement of electoral discipline at the local level.

In the same briefing, the Election Commission also clarified several election-related procedural matters. On the inclusion of candidates in postal ballots for expatriate voters, Akhtar Ahmed said the Commission had decided that if a court upholds or reinstates a candidate’s nomination by 8 February 2026, that candidate may be included in postal ballots. Any reinstatement after that date, however, will not qualify for inclusion, owing to the minimum time required for printing, dispatching, and returning postal ballots.

The senior secretary also explained the code of conduct regarding campaign banners. He said the permitted size of a banner is 10 feet by 4 feet, and that compliance will be judged strictly by dimensions rather than orientation. Standard banners must be black and white; the use of colour or PVC materials will be treated as a violation and addressed by Returning Officers. Digital display boards, however, are permitted to carry colour campaign materials.

Finally, clarifying remarks about international observers, Akhtar Ahmed stated that no observers sponsored by the United States government would attend the election. Nevertheless, observers from independent and voluntary organisations based in the United States may be present.

Key Facts at a Glance

The Sherpur incident has underscored the Election Commission’s insistence on strict administrative accountability and its determination to prevent violence from undermining the electoral process.