Man jailed for recording UNO’s relief distribution

A mobile court in Barguna's Amtali upazila has sentenced a man to 10 days in jail for video-recording a relief distribution programme by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO).

Executive Magistrate Abu Bakar Siddique administered the mobile court in front of the Amtali UNO Office on Thursday afternoon.

Ruhul Amin, 33, who has been punished for "trying to disrupt government works", is a son of late Shofez Mistry hailing from the south-west area of Amtali municipality.

Legal experts of the area, however, believe that Ruhul Amin might have been imprisoned because of the administration's attempt to hide their irregularities or mistakes during distributing the relief goods.

They urged the authorities concerned to reconsider Ruhul Amin's penalty.

Local people alleged that the upazila administration, along with public representatives, was distributing relief goods among the poor in open spaces but without ensuring social distancing. Ruhul Amin recorded it on his mobile phone.

"The UNO [Monira Parveen] has gathered thousands of people for relief distribution but no one is maintaining social distance," Ruhul Amin was heard saying in the video, according to Gulishakhali union parishad Chairman Nurul Islam Mia.

Nurul Islam was present there when Ruhul Amin was sentenced. He along with many others watched the video.

However, there were not thousands of people there to take relief materials, added Nurul Islam.