Staff Correspondent
At least three people were killed and dozens injured in a spate of violence in different parts of the country during and after Thursday’s upazila elections, police said.
An activist of the ruling Awami League was stabbed to death by rivals in Faridpur district while a supporter of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party was killed by AL men in Narail district over election disputes, according to reports coming in from the districts.
New Age correspondent in Faridpur reported that Akkas Matubbar, 50, a supporter of a winning candidate, was killed in an attack by his rivals at village Pachpasha under Gotti union of Saltha upazila in the district. People loyal to defeated chairman candidate Imamul Hossain of the AL killed him, according to police.
In Narail a BNP activist was killed and five others were injured in a clash between the supporters of the AL and the BNP in Lohagara upazila Friday.
Police said the AL supporters had attacked the BNP activists at Baka village in the morning leaving four injured. Idris Molla, 45, one of the injured persons, died on way to Khulna Medical College Hospital.
In Brahmanbaria, one Oli Mia was fatally injured in a clash between the activists of the AL and the BNP in Nasirnagar upazila over control of a polling station. He died in the sadar hospital.
Thursday‘s elections to upazila parishad were marked by stuffing of ballot boxes allegedly by the ruling AL’s activists and sporadic violence which left as many as 200 people injured across the country. The election authorities suspended elections to four upazilas due to violence, capture of polling centres and stuffing of ballot boxes.
AL-supported candidates won most of the seats in the local government elections. The Election Commission announced unofficial results of the polls in 409 out of 475 upazilas.
The Election Commission, which resented vote rigging and unwarranted pressure created by a section of ruling party lawmakers and even a minister, could not finalised its election tally as most of the top officials remained out of the office Friday.
Officials said that the commission had suspended voting in 39 polling stations of 18 districts on Thursday because of violence and irregularities.
The upazila elections, the first in nearly two decades, was marked by a low turnout compared to last month‘s general elections which saw a record 87 per cent voter turnout.
Reports from Sherpur and Sylhet said a number of people were injured in the post-election violence on Friday.
In Sherpur, the AL activists ransacked the office and the residence of Sribardi UNO Enamul Haq Friday afternoon.
Police said the AL men, led by defeated chairman candidate Ashraf Hossain Khoka, smashed windowpanes and furniture in the office and the residence of the UNO, leaving one officer injured.
UNO Enamul alleged that local MP AKM Fazlul Haq on Thursday night had pressured the election officials, including him, to manipulate the upazila parishad election in favour of Khoka.
But, they ignored the pressure and declared an independent candidate elected that apparently made Khoka and his supporters angry, he said.
Police, BDR and RAB personnel were deployed in the area to fend off further trouble.
In Sylhet, at least 20 people were injured in clashes between the supporters of two chairman candidates in Biswanath upazila Friday.
Police and witnesses said supporters of chairman candidate of the BNP, Firoz Khan Panki, led by upazila Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal general secretary Matiur Rahman Sumon, and Mohibur Rahman (AL rebel candidate) clashed in the morning following an attack on the AL men on Thursday night.
Gunshots were heard during the fighting.
On Thursday, five people were injured in a clash between the two groups. The injured were admitted to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital.
In Sunamganj 15 people were injured in a clash between rival political groups at Jagannathpur in Sunamganj after the polls.
AL supporters attacked the houses of local BNP leaders in Lalmonirhat. They damaged two houses of BNP men at Mahendra Nagar village over election disputes. Police arrested one AL supporter.
Our Barisal correspondent reported election related violence had left 11 persons injured in different upazilas.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
