MP faces angry mob upon visiting damaged embankment in Khulna

Lawmaker M Akhtaruzzaman of Khulna-6 constituency was forced to leave Dashalia in Koyra upazila by trawler, chased by agitated locals on Tuesday.

Although MP Akhtaruzzaman claimed the incident reported was untrue, witnesses confirmed that agitated people hurled mud at him.

"No such incident of hurling mud at me took place. Four to five thousand people covered in mud demanded construction of a sustainable embankment when I visited the place this morning." 

"Aggravated frustration has prevailed among locals, as every year they face the devastation of embankment erosions," he said, adding, "Later, I also joined in their work of rebuilding the embankment."

"Some Jamaat led group is conspiring against me," the MP said.

Witnesses said MP Akhtaruzzaman, with 50 of his supporters, went to visit the embankment on a trawler around 11:30 am. Locals who were working to repair the embankment became agitated and hurled mud, aiming at the MP.

At one stage, local Awami League leaders and cops rushed to the spot and took the situation under control. Later, the MP delivered a speech and tried to join the citizen volunteers in the work of embankment repair, when most of them left the spot.

Babul Hossain, a former UP member of Moharajpur union, said people were chanting, "the MP doesn't need to come here" and were hurling mud at Akhtaruzzaman.

A witness not wanting to be named, blamed the MP for the poor repair work of the embankment and alleged that Akhtaruzzaman used his relatives to get the meager and shoddy repair  work done.

The local Water Development Board (WDB) embankment in Shalikha of Koyra upazila broke with the impact of cyclone Yaas and recently flooded around 15 villages. Around 15,000 people were marooned. Three thousand local volunteers were repairing the embankment since WDB failed to take any measures to address the matter.

SM Shafikul Islam, upazila chairman and Jubo League president of Koyra upazila, said the people continued the agitation for around one and half hours, so the embankment repair remained incomplete today.

Officer-in-Charge of Koyra Police Station, Md Rabiul Islam, said some flustered locals created a problem which was resolved once the MP delivered his speech.