Family Card dispute: BNP men call for 'slaughtering' Bagmara UNO; leader apologises claiming 'slip of tongue'
A video of the incident – which took place around noon after protesters alleged that their names had been excluded from the Family Card survey 2026 supervisor positions – has since gone viral on social media.
A group of protesters, led by members of a pro-BNP organisation, chanted slogans calling for the "slaughter" of the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) during a demonstration at Bagmara Upazila Parishad in Rajshahi yesterday (10 August).
A video of the incident – which took place around noon after they alleged that their names had been excluded from the Family Card survey 2026 supervisor positions – has since gone viral on social media.
Siddiqur Rahman, convener of the Bagmara unit of the "Tarique Zia Projonmo Dal," led the chanting, with BNP and affiliated organisation leaders and activists responding with the slogan "Jobai Kor," or "slaughter him."
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Those participating included former upazila BNP member secretary Shamsuzzoha Sarker Badsha, Gualkandi union BNP Secretary Akramul Islam, Hamirkutsa union BNP President Belal Uddin Shah, Secretary Anisur Rahman, former organising secretary Mamun Muhuri and former president of Gualkandi Jubo Dal Asadul Islam.
In the viral footage, Siddiqur, wearing a white panjabi, can be seen raising his hand and leading the chants in an agitated manner, while others around him join in.
The video later shows the demonstrators holding a banner at a human chain.
The banner alleged irregularities in the final results for supervisor positions under the Family Card survey.
However, Siddiqur told The Business Standard that the slogan had been a "slip of the tongue" and not made deliberately.
Bagmara upazila BNP Convener DM Ziaur Rahman said the protesters were angry because many of the people selected for data collector and supervisor positions were "affiliated with the banned Chhatra League and Jubo League".
He claimed that Siddiqur intended to chant slogans against Awami League activists but mistakenly said "UNO" instead.
"While saying 'catch and slaughter Chhatra League', it became a slip of the tongue and he said 'UNO'. He [Siddiqur] immediately acknowledged the mistake and issued a statement," Ziaur added. "Even so, Jamaat men is exaggerating and promoting this."
UNO denies recruitment irregularities
When asked about the allegations, Bagmara UNO Selim Ahmed told TBS that there was no scope for irregularities or corruption in the recruitment of data collectors and supervisors for the Family Card programme.
He said the selection of data collectors and supervisors had been completed transparently and in accordance with the relevant guidelines.
"The recruitment process in Bagmara was completed and the results were published with full transparency and in accordance with the relevant guidelines," Selim added.
He reiterated that there had been no irregularities or favouritism in the process.
The UNO further said, "Even so, we told them [protesters] that if they had any specific concerns, they could bring them to us and we would review them. But they could not point to any specific issue. A small section of the BNP had organised the human chain."
"They mainly held the protest to draw attention to themselves. They have every right to hold a human chain, but since such slogans are unacceptable, we will take legal action," he said.
Locals said the slogans had been prompted by anger over the protesters' names being left out of the survey. Some residents have criticised the slogans as threatening, while others have expressed anger towards the administration.
The Family Card Survey 2026 is currently underway across the country, with protests reported in several upazilas over alleged irregularities and favouritism in the recruitment of data collectors and supervisors.
