Army personnel recovered Tk 1.5 million from the campaign vehicle of Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, the BNP candidate for Lakshmipur-3 (Sadar) constituency, and detained his personal assistant Badrul Alam Shyamal. The incident was confirmed to journalists on Wednesday night by Executive Magistrate and Election Inquiry Committee member Tahmina Akter Nowrin.

Following the incident, Annie released a video statement through the BNP Media Cell’s Facebook page, explaining that the seized money was intended for center-based fees related to election activities. He said the authorities had already verified the matter and released the funds through the court. Annie described the news reports about the seizure as misleading and alleged that they were aimed at damaging his public image.

Annie urged people not to be confused by the reports and strongly protested what he called deliberate attempts to tarnish his reputation.