Ruling Awami League member of the parliament (MP) Abdur Rahman Bodi on Wednesday allegedly beat the Ukhia upazila engineer in Cox’s Bazar.
The incident took place when a number of upazila parishad chairmen complained to the MP, better known as Bodi, against the local government and engineering department (LGED)’s upazila engineer Mostafa Minhaz alleging that he regularly abstains the monthly development and coordination meeting.
The upazila parishad chairmen made the complaint at the beginning of the monthly upazila development and coordination meeting at the Ukhia upazila council where the upazila engineer was also supposed to attend but he was yet to join the meeting.
Witnesses said after hearing the complaint, the MP went to the office of Mostafa Minhaz located in the same building of the upazila council and asked him why he did not join the meeting yet.
At one stage, the ruling party MP assaulted him and tore his shirt.
A total of 19 people including freedom fighters, executive engineer of roads and highways department, magistrates and lawyers were earlier beaten by the controversial MP in different incidents.
Upazila engineer Mostafa Minhaz told Prothom Alo, “I was doing some clerical work in my office as all the meeting usually starts at 11:30pm. The MP just started beating me asking why I did not attend the meeting. High officials were informed about the incident.”
Asked about the incident, Cox’s Bazaar district LGED executive engineer Manzurul Alam said, “I heard about the incident. Investigation is going on.”
However, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), Hillol Biswas, and Abdur Rahman Bodi MP did not pick up the phone even after repeated attempts.
Cox’s Bazar deputy commissioner also alleged, “The upazila engineer oftentimes remains absent in the meeting.”
He, however, said he knew nothing about the beating by the time.
He also said, “It is unfortunate if the MP might have beaten up the engineer. Abstaining from the meeting is unfortunate as well.”
Source: Prothom Alo