Businessman Arrested with Fake Vote Seals in Lakshmipur; BNP Claims Fraud

Police arrested a businessman on Tuesday after seizing six illegally manufactured election seals from a printing shop in Lakshmipur. Following the arrest, the BNP held an emergency press conference alleging a wider conspiracy involving Jamaat-e-Islami.

The press conference took place at 8:00 pm at the Lakshmipur-3 (Sadar) election office. Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee, BNP Joint Secretary General and candidate for the constituency, claimed the arrested individual, identified as Sohel Rana, is a Jamaat activist.

"A computer and six 16-cell seals were seized, but this points to a larger 'election engineering' plot," Anee stated in a written address. He urged the administration and the Election Commission to investigate who commissioned the seals and warned of potential ballot forgery. Annie further demanded exemplary punishment for those involved and called for heightened vigilance to prevent fraudulent voting at polling centers.

Senior district BNP leaders, including Hasibur Rahman and Wahid Uddin Chowdhury Happy, were also in attendance.