Ishwardi, July 1 (V7N) — Zakaria Pintu, former General Secretary of BNP’s Ishwardi municipal unit, has vehemently rejected recent allegations falsely implicating him in a violent territorial clash in Ishwardi. In a press conference held at Ishwardi Press Club on Tuesday afternoon, Pintu denounced what he called a deliberate smear campaign orchestrated by the “Kakon-Shahidul gang” to deflect blame.
 
On June 5, a clash erupted in Saraghat’s Islampara area of Ishwardi upazila, where the Kakon gang—originating from Lalpur in Natore—allegedly attacked fishermen to assert control over a sand extraction site. CCTV footage documenting the incident was widely circulated by several media outlets implicating the Kakon group. On June 7, police filed a case naming Kakon, Shahidul, and a total of 37 individuals in connection with the violence.
 
However, recent private TV channels have repurposed the same CCTV video to falsely suggest Zakaria Pintu’s involvement. In the press conference, organised by Ishwardi Upazila and Municipality BNP, Pintu stated emphatically: “I have no stake in this conflict. These allegations are entirely baseless.”
 
SM Fazlur Rahman, former acting General Secretary of Ishwardi Municipality BNP, presented a written statement highlighting:
 
On June 5, armed Kakon and student-league-aligned militants conducted a violent incursion in Saraghat’s sand depot, firing shots, vandalising property, looting, and assaulting civilians.
 
On June 7, Ishwardi police recorded a case against 37 suspects, including Kakon and Shahidul.
 
Earlier, on May 26, the same group reportedly assaulted 8–10 farmers on Padma River islands, seized two cattle, and held a celebratory feast after killing them.
 
The targeted sand depot is a legally rented site for 1432 Bengali year under Mehedi Hasan and partners, supported by valid receipts. The Kakon-Shahidul gang reportedly mounted the attack to seize control, and now are displacing blame onto Pintu.
 
Pintu was falsely named in media reports on June 28 using the same CCTV footage originally implicating the Kakon gang.
 
Speakers also alleged that Shahidul Molla—leader of Baghati Para’s student league branch and one of the case complainants—filed a conspiratorial lawsuit against Pintu and eight others, despite being wanted since 2024 for a case related to student protests. They questioned how Shahidul could file a case while still evading arrest.
 
During the conference, Zakaria Pintu explained he was released from jail on February 11 and, following instructions from BNP acting chair Tarique Rahman, has been actively campaigning for nomination in Pabna-4. Describing the allegations as a "politically motivated conspiracy," he demanded that the media independently verify the facts within 24 hours—or face defamation action.
 
Shahidul Molla, reached by phone, denied wrongdoing: “Pintu's associates demanded money from us, so we filed the case. We have legal rights to the sand depot. Prior to this, they filed false cases against innocent people. The video even shows Pintu’s men with weapons—it’s their training, not ours.”
 
Responding to questions about his past as a student-league leader, Shahidul added: “Yes, I was in student league. If you're in politics, you face cases—just like this false case they filed against me.”
 
When asked for Kakon’s contact information, Shahidul replied, “He doesn’t have a phone. He doesn’t use mobile devices.”
 
END/SRP/SMA/