A local BNP leader unlocked a premises previously used as an office of the banned Awami League in Panchagarh today (13 February), triggering controversy.
Abu Daud Pradhan, president of the Sadar upazila unit of BNP, opened the office at Chaklahat Bazar in Sadar upazila.
A video of the incident later went viral on social media. It showed Abu Daud Pradhan standing on the veranda of the Awami League office and giving a speech.
According to local sources, Abu Daud Pradhan is a former chairman of Chaklahat Union Parishad.
In his speech, Abu Daud Pradhan said he was unaware that the Awami League party office had remained locked and claimed he would have opened it earlier had he known.
Several local Awami League and former Chhatra League leaders were also present there.
However, Abu Daud claimed he was unaware that the building had served as an Awami League office.
Speaking to BBC Bangla, he said he had gone to the market that morning when the president of the local traders’ association informed him that a Jamaat activist had taken the key to what was described as a warehouse.
He said he intervened to defuse tensions and instructed that the key be returned.
“I was unaware that it was an Awami League office. There was no signboard indicating so. I simply asked for the key to be returned to defuse tensions. Some Awami League activists later thanked me, but I did not interpret the matter that way,” he said.
He maintained that the lock was opened purely to preserve peace and order amid escalating tensions, emphasising that the move was not a party decision.
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