Members of the Bangladesh Coast Guard detained a local leader of the Swechchhasebak Dal in Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali on Wednesday night with Tk50 lakh in his possession.

The detainee, Rezaul Karim alias Kajal Mridha, is the joint convener of the Kalapara municipality unit Swechchhasebak Dal.

Kajal was apprehended around 10:30pm from a residential area in front of Khepupara Girls’ Secondary School, carrying a bag full of cash,

Kalapara police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Robiul Islam confirmed this to reporters.

Sources said Kajal is a member of the election steering committee of BNP-nominated candidate ABM Mosharraf Hossain in Patuakhali-4.

When asked, Kalapara municipality unit BNP General Secretary Musa Tawhid Nannu Munshi said Kajal Mridha is a prominent businessman in the area and that his detention has no link with the national parliamentary election or the BNP.