MP Momen Accuses PM's Special Assistant Over Attack on Santhia Mosque

The lawmaker made these allegations during a press conference held at the Imam Hossain Auditorium of the Santhia Upazila Jamaat-e-Islami office at around 10:30 PM on Friday (July 24).

According to Barrister Momen, he had gone to lead the Juma prayers at the Aftabnagar Bazar Jame Mosque with the explicit permission of the mosque committee and at the request of local worshippers. However, he claimed that local BNP leaders and activists orchestrated a premeditated obstruction, which escalated into a physical attack on Jamaat activists and general congregants inside the mosque premises.

He further alleged that the Prime Minister's Special Assistant, Sayed Bin Abdullah, is stepping outside his official mandate to illegally influence local politics, claiming the mosque attack was executed under his direct and indirect instructions.

During the press briefing, the MP also leveled serious allegations against Anisur Rahman, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Santhia Police Station. Branding the OC a "collaborator of fascism," Momen demanded his immediate withdrawal. He accused the police official of involvement in bribery, extortion, and the targeted harassment of Jamaat-Shibir activists. Furthermore, the MP claimed that victims of the mosque attack were deliberately obstructed by the police when they attempted to file a formal complaint at the station.

The press conference was attended by several local leaders, including former Santhia Upazila Parishad Chairman Maulana Mokhlesur Rahman, Acting Upazila Ameer Professor Anisur Rahman, and Acting Upazila Secretary Mostafa Kamal Manik.

The unrest traces back to earlier on Friday when Barrister Najibur Rahman Momen arrived to lead the Juma congregation at the Aftabnagar Bazar Jame Mosque. Just as the second sermon (Khutbah) was about to commence, a faction of BNP workers and supporters present in the mosque voiced their objections. This quickly deteriorated into a heated verbal altercation and subsequent scuffle between the two factions, sparking widespread tension across Santhia Upazila.

Immediate statements or reactions regarding the MP's allegations could not be obtained from the Prime Minister's Special Assistant Sayed Bin Abdullah, local BNP representatives, or the Santhia Police Station OC at the time of reporting.