Highlights:
- Independent candidate promised hilsa fish at Tk 10 each.
- Over 2,000 people rushed for only 600 fish.
- Chaos broke out; candidate forced to flee the area.
- Angry crowd later blocked his car.
- Police confirmed the incident and said he was warned earlier.
Announcement of Tk 10 Hilsa Fish
In Faridpur’s Sadarpur upazila, an independent MP candidate named Raihan Jamil announced that he would sell hilsa fish at just Tk 10 each. On Wednesday (September 17) morning, he arranged this distribution at Bishwa Zaker Manzil High School field.
He made the announcement to win people’s support as part of his campaign for the Faridpur-4 constituency, which includes Bhanga, Sadarpur, and Charbhadrasan.
Crowd Gathers in Thousands
Posters had already been spread in the area a week earlier, where Raihan Jamil introduced himself as an independent candidate and promised hilsa fish at Tk 10. When the news spread, more than 2,000 people gathered at the school ground, although only 600 hilsa were brought.
As the fish quickly ran out, those who did not get any became angry. The situation soon turned chaotic, forcing the candidate to escape to save himself.
Chaos and Escape
According to eyewitnesses, when Raihan Jamil tried to leave, some angry locals even blocked his car at Bhashanchar union area. With the help of a few people, he narrowly managed to escape from the scene.
Read More: Police Declare 5,000 Taka Prize per Awami League Protester Caught
Residents Express Anger
Local people who came to collect fish from Hilsa Distribution expressed deep frustration.
One resident, Anwar Hossain, said (in Bengali):
“সকাল থেকে ইলিশ মাছ নেওয়ার জন্য লাইন দিয়ে দাঁড়িয়ে ছিলাম। কিন্তু আমার কপালে মাছ জোটে নেই।”
Translation: “I had been standing in line since morning to get hilsa, but I wasn’t lucky enough to get any.”
Another resident said the event created pushing, shoving, and even fights among the crowd.
Candidate’s Own Statement
Later, Raihan Jamil spoke about the incident:
“এই মুহূর্তে দেশের সবচেয়ে দামি মাছ ইলিশ। যে মাছটি কিনে খাওয়ার মতো সক্ষমতা অনেকের নেই। সেই চিন্তা থেকে আমি আমার এলাকার প্রায় ৬০০ মানুষের মধ্যে প্রতি পিস ১০ টাকায় ইলিশ মাছ তাঁদের হাতে তুলে দেওয়ার চেষ্টা করছি। কিন্তু এ খবর পেয়ে সেখানে হাজার হাজার মানুষ জড়ো হলে সবাইকে মাছ দিতে পারিনি। পরে এ ঘটনার জন্য সবার কাছে মাফ চেয়ে আমি ফিরে আসি।”
Translation: “At this moment, hilsa is the most expensive fish in the country. Many people cannot afford to buy it. That is why I wanted to give hilsa to around 600 people in my area at Tk 10 each. But when thousands gathered after hearing the news, I couldn’t provide for all. Later, I apologized to everyone and left the area.”
Police Reaction
Sadarpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sukdeb Roy confirmed the Hilsa Distribution incident. He said:
“I had warned Raihan Jamil about this beforehand. But he did not listen and went ahead with the distribution. Later, when we heard about the chaos, police were sent to bring the situation under control.”
Source: Prothom Alo
