Edward College Principal Accused of Violating Election Code of Conduct

The principal of Pabna Government Edward College, Professor Lutfar Rahman, has been accused of abusing his authority and violating the election code of conduct.

Abdul Latif, Assistant Election Director of Jamaat for the Pabna-5 constituency, submitted a written complaint over the matter. Following the complaint, the Election Investigation and Judicial Committee of Pabna-5 summoned the principal on Thursday (January 21).

According to the complaint, once the election schedule is announced, all government development activities must be suspended. During this period, no individual is allowed to inaugurate projects, lay foundation stones, or distribute donations on behalf of any political party or candidate.

Despite this restriction, a foundation stone-laying ceremony for a proposed hostel at Government Edward College was held on January 18 with approval from the Ministry of Education. The project is funded by Qatar Charity. The event included a rally attended by senior district leaders of the BNP and Chhatra Dal, including Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas.

The complaint claims that holding such a public event with leaders from a single political party violates subsections (1), (3), and (4) of Section 4 of the Election Code of Conduct. Professor Lutfar Rahman has been accused of showing political bias and attempting to influence voters ahead of the election.

Ashraful Islam, head of the Election Investigation and Judicial Committee of the Pabna-5 (Sadar) constituency, said the committee has completed its investigation and sent a report to the relevant authorities, including the Election Commission Secretariat.

Attempts to contact Professor Lutfar Rahman for comment were unsuccessful. He ended a phone call, saying he would discuss the matter later at his office.