Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker from Netrakona-5 Masum Mostafa on Sunday sought security for himself and his party activists.

Raising the issue on a point of order in the Jatiya Sangsad, Masum said that he had come under attack on Friday evening, when his vehicle was vandalised and he was confined by assailants.

The incident took place at a filling station in Atkapara area of Purbadhala, on the Shyamganj–Birishiri road.

Presenting his account, the Jamaat lawmaker said that while returning after work, he stopped at a crowded filling station and parked his car before speaking with several people there.

He said that, as the Maghrib azan was on, he went to a nearby mosque on the station premises to offer prayers.

At that time, he alleged, a group identifying themselves as activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party launched an attack on his vehicle and assaulted his associates who rushed to the scene after hearing the commotion.

Masum alleged that the attackers attempted to locate him inside the mosque, where worshippers locked the doors to protect him.

The assailants, he said, tried to break down the mosque door using weapons, hurled abusive words and issued threats to kill him.

Masum also claimed that professional killers had been deployed with the intention of assassinating him, saying that he survived only because the attackers failed to break into the mosque due to resistance from worshippers.

Otherwise, he remarked, the House might have had to bring a condolence motion for him.

The MP appealed to the speaker for his own security, as well as that of his family and party activists, and called upon the prime minister and the home minister to ensure their protection.

In response, speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said he had seen reports in newspapers indicating that nine people had been arrested in connection with the incident.

However, Masum said only one of those arrested was a listed accused, while the others were innocent, adding that all nine had since secured bail.

He alleged that the actual accused persons were still at large and even holding processions, and demanded their arrest and trial.

Later, local government minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir described the incident as ‘extremely unfortunate’.

Fakhrul said that the leader of the House had told him that he would ensure a proper and fair investigation into the incident, and that the real perpetrators would be identified and brought to justice.