BLO dies day after finding name on SIR re-check list

Malda: A 56-year-old teacher in Malda, working as a booth level officer (BLO) in the ongoing revision of poll rolls, fell ill at his Sujapur home late on Wednesday and died a few hours later. His family alleged that Mohammad Anikul Alam struggled to handle the SIR pressure, with the BLO himself featuring on EC's re-verification list even after attending a hearing.Alam, a geography teacher at Kaliachak High School and a resident of Bishwaspara, was in charge of booth number 144 under Sujapur assembly constituency. Alam, who lived in Sujapur for 25 years despite having ancestral roots in Harishchandrapur, reportedly broke down due to multiple problems. His wife Staleha Khatun's prolonged illness and the excessive SIR workload only added to it.
His family and locals alleged that Alam became severely distressed on Wednesday after receiving a list from the BDO office containing 44 names that could not be mapped and required rechecking. To his shock, his own name, despite being a regular voter for years, also featured on that list.Although Alam and his family attended a hearing on Jan 2, the sudden demand to re-verify these documents caused him to panic. He visited the Kaliachak-I BDO office in the afternoon seeking a solution but found no redress.After returning home that evening Alam started feeling unwell, and he was initially treated at a primary health centre and released. However, his condition deteriorated overnight, and he suffered a severe heart attack at home. Early Thursday, he was first rushed to Sujapur Block Hospital and subsequently to a private nursing home in English Bazaar, where he succumbed around 9am.While his body was sent for an autopsy, the incident triggered a heated political exchange.Rahim Bakshi, MLA and Malda district Trinamool president, alongside spokesperson Ashish Kundu, blamed the EC and BJP, labelling the SIR work pressure as "harassment and torture" and suggesting that the poll panel be held responsible for the "murder".BJP netas, including state secretary Amlan Bhaduri and Malda South district president Ajay Gangopadhyay dismissed these claims, saying that Alam was already indisposed. They accused TMC of spreading panic and playing politics over a tragic death.