Jamaat Leader Belal Uddin Hospitalized After Detention with 5 Million BDT; Party Claims ‘Staged Drama’
During primary interrogation on Wednesday afternoon, February 11, Belal Uddin reportedly fell ill and was admitted to the Syedpur 100-bed Hospital at 1:47 PM under heavy police guard. He remains under close medical observation.
Police sources confirmed that Belal Uddin arrived at Syedpur Airport from Dhaka on a US-Bangla Airlines flight at approximately 11:00 AM. Based on a tip-off, a combined team of intelligence and police officers detained him and recovered over 5 million BDT from his bag. In a video statement recorded shortly after his detention, Belal Uddin admitted to carrying between 5 and 6 million BDT. However, his sudden illness during questioning led authorities to transport him to the hospital via ambulance. Medical staff suggested that physical weakness and acute mental stress might be the causes of his condition.
In an emergency press conference held later in the afternoon, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Central Assistant Secretary General, Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, labeled the incident a "staged drama." He presented the following defenses:
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Business Funds: The recovered money was not intended for election expenses but was capital for Belal Uddin’s personal garment business.
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Bank Closures: He was carrying cash due to bank closures to facilitate urgent business transactions.
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Allegations of Torture: The party alleged that a section of the administration is subjecting Jamaat leaders to "mental torture" to favor a specific political group.
Maulana Belal Uddin, a resident of the Hajipara area in Thakurgaon and a teacher at Thakurgaon Salandar Degree College, remains a person of interest. Nilphamari Superintendent of Police (SP) Sheikh Zahidul Islam remarked that carrying such a vast amount of cash just 24 hours before the national election is "highly suspicious." A formal investigation has been launched to determine if the funds were intended to illegally influence the election. The exact amount will be declared once the official counting under police custody is finalized.
