BNP lawmaker Mobashwer Alam Bhuiyan from Cumilla-10 constituency has instructed party activists to divorce their wives if they voted for the scale symbol, associated with Jamaat-e-Islami, during the 13th national election. He made the remarks last Tuesday at a gathering in Bagmara Bazar of Lalmai upazila. A one-minute-forty-four-second video of his speech has since circulated on social media.

In the video, Bhuiyan is heard saying that any wife who disobeys her husband or supports another party should be divorced. Addressing party members, he accused some BNP activists of hypocrisy, claiming they supported Jamaat financially and that some leaders’ wives also voted for Jamaat. He further criticized those who opposed him before the election but later sought to associate with him publicly.

Attempts to reach Mobashwer Alam Bhuiyan for comment were unsuccessful, as he did not answer phone calls, according to the report.