AN old video of Mufti Amir Hamza, the Jamaat-e-Islami-nominated candidate for Kushtia-3 (Sadar) constituency and a prominent Islamic preacher, has gone viral on social media, triggering political tension in the area.

The 24-second clip shows Hamza distorting the names of the late president Ziaur Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko, the younger son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, comparing Koko’s name to that of an animal. The video has drawn strong criticism from local political leaders, activists, and social media users.

Kushtia district BNP convener Kutub Uddin Ahmed issued a written protest, describing the language as ‘obscene and irresponsible’ and warning that it could disrupt the election environment ahead of the upcoming parliamentary polls.

Engineer Zakir Hossain Sarkar, the BNP-nominated candidate for Kushtia-3, said the party has filed a formal protest and alerted the Election Commission and other relevant authorities regarding the matter.

Abdul Hakim Masud, president of the Kushtia District Swechchhasebak Dal, condemned the remarks and demanded a public apology from Hamza.

Responding to the controversy, Mufti Amir Hamza on Sunday released a statement on Facebook, claiming the footage was from 2023 and that he had already expressed regret at that time. He accused those circulating the edited video of political manipulation and reiterated his apology, saying ‘I once again express regret for the unintended remarks regarding the late Arafat Rahman Koko.’

Despite his statement, the video continues to generate negative reactions on social media.