PABNA, Feb 8 (V7N) – Tensions rose in Pabna on Sunday following the stabbing and injury of a freedom fighter and local Jamaat-e-Islami leader, prompting separate protest programmes and statements from Jamaat-e-Islami and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir staged a protest procession from Shaheed Chattar in the afternoon. The march moved through key roads of the town before ending in front of the offices of the Deputy Commissioner and the District Returning Officer, where a brief sit-in and speeches were held.

Speakers, including Pabna Municipality Jamaat Ameer Abdul Latif and district-level Jamaat and Shibir leaders, condemned the attack on Ramzan Ali, who they described as both a freedom fighter and a Jamaat leader. They alleged political motives behind the incident and urged the administration to identify and arrest those responsible. Jamaat leaders said they would consider further action if progress was not made, but later called off the programme after the district administration assured them of steps to look into the matter.

Meanwhile, the district BNP held a separate protest march and press conference, rejecting allegations that BNP leaders, activists or its candidate for the Pabna Sadar constituency were involved in the incident.

BNP leaders expressed sympathy for the injured freedom fighter and said preliminary information suggested the incident stemmed from personal and family-related disputes rather than political rivalry. They claimed that individuals named in connection with the attack were not affiliated with BNP or its associated organisations, and described the accusations against the party and its candidate as “misleading”.

Addressing the press conference at the Pabna Press Club auditorium, District BNP Member Secretary Advocate Masud Khandaker said the party supported a proper investigation and urged all sides to refrain from spreading unverified claims ahead of the election. Several senior BNP leaders and representatives of affiliated organisations were present.

According to local sources, Ramzan Ali was injured in Char Shibrampur area of Hemayetpur in Pabna Sadar Upazila on Saturday night. He was initially admitted to Pabna General Hospital and later transferred to Dhaka for advanced treatment as his condition worsened.

The incident has added to political tensions in the district ahead of the polls, with both sides calling for calm, transparency and due process as investigations continue.

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