A printing press owner arrested in Lakshmipur over the recovery of six illegal voting seals has given a confessional statement in court, disclosing who ordered the seals to be made.

The confession was recorded on Wednesday afternoon under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The accused, Sohel Rana, 40, is a resident of Tumchar Union in Sadar Upazila and the proprietor of Mariyam Press.

Police arrested Sohel Rana on Tuesday afternoon during a raid at his press on Old Court Road in the town. Six unauthorized ballot seals, along with a computer and a mobile phone, were seized during the operation.

Lakshmipur Sadar Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Wahed Parvez confirmed the confession. According to him, Sohel Rana told the court that the seals were produced on the instructions of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Saurav Hossain, also known as Sharif. He said Sharif placed the order through WhatsApp on January 30, after which the seals were manufactured.

Saurav Hossain, 34, is the son of Md Shahjahan from Ward No. 4 of the municipality and serves as the ward secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami. Following the disclosure of the incident, he has reportedly gone into hiding.

Jamaat-e-Islami later expelled Saurav Hossain from the party, accusing him of damaging its image. Confirming the expulsion, district Jamaat Ameer S U M Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan said the party took immediate action after learning of the incident. He claimed Saurav had said the seals were intended to demonstrate voting procedures to voters but admitted the act was irresponsible. He also stated that the press owner is not affiliated with Jamaat.

After the arrest became public, BNP candidate for Lakshmipur-3 constituency Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie held a press conference expressing concern. He alleged that those involved in producing the seals may have been part of a broader plan to manipulate the election process.

Later that night, Jamaat-e-Islami held a separate press briefing at the Lakshmipur Press Club. The party’s Lakshmipur-3 candidate Rezaul Karim rejected BNP’s allegations, saying Jamaat was being falsely linked to the incident.

A senior police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the matter is being investigated thoroughly. Authorities are examining whether the seals were meant for voter training purposes or intended for ballot manipulation on election day.

OC Wahed Parvez said further investigation is underway to determine the motive behind producing the seals and to identify any additional individuals involved. Seized materials are being analyzed as part of the investigation.