The third phase of Upazila elections were held at 81 upazilas in 41 districts yesterday with widespread clashes and vote rigging at many places including Bagerhat, Shariatpur and Netrakona causing deaths to at least three persons and injuries to as many others.
The election to Upazila Chairman and two vice chairmen turned out to be the battler ground at many places with the ruling party vowed to snatch the victory with support from party cadres and local administration and the opposition equally determined to resist it and take home the victory.
The voting was marked at most places by recurring clashes between supporters of contesting candidates, attacks on voters, snatching of ballot boxes, arson, allegation of vote rigging, capturing of polling centres, fake vote casting and suspension of voting were reported from several upazilas.
In Bagerhar, a Shibir activist, identified as Manzurul Islam, 24, was killed in Kachua upazila allegedly by the Awami League supporters. The deceased, son of Afzal Hossain of village tengrakhali village, was an activist of Shibir’s Bagerhat PC College unit.
Locals said the Shibir activist was stabbed to death allegedly by the Awami League activists when he was going to Karapara Union Parishad Office voting centre.
Mohammad Ali Azam Khan, officer-in-charge of Bagerhat Sadar Police Station, also confirmed the death of Manzurul Islam but could not ascertain immediately who killed him.
In Shariatpur, Ripon Majhi, 24, a local construction worker and son of Mesir Ali Majhi of Bumkhara, was killed when police opened fire on a group of people as they reportedly tried to snatch ballot boxes from a polling station at Bumkhara in Naria upazila of the district.
Witnesses said a group of people swooped on Bagbari Primary School polling centre and tried to snatch the ballot boxes minutes after the voting closed, trigging a clash with the law enforcers. At one stage, the law enforcers opened fire on the unruly people, killing Ripon on the spot
In Netrakona, Genu Miah, 32, son of Abdul Habbar of village Tularam in Madan upazila and supporter of a BNP rebel candidate was shot dead in a pre-election violence which is going to be held on March 23, allegedly by the supporters of BNP-backed candidate at Village Fetepur in the upazila.
The incidents of poll violence wre reported from various places across the country, including Sitakunda and Chandnaish in Chittagong, Nangalkpot and Burichang in Comilla, Monirampur upazila in Jessore and Kurigram Sadar upazila, leaving at least 20 injured.
Besides, the supporters of AL-backed chairman candidate torched two houses and a candle factory of BNP-Jamaat men at Terial in Sitakunda in Chittagong on Saturday, leaving two people injured.
Meanwhile, nine chairman candidates, mostly BNP-backed ones, announced the withdrawal from the election race in four districts — Barisal, Bagerhat, Comilla and Shariatpur — raising the allegations of polling station capture, stuffing fake votes and other election irregularities.
Election Commissioner Mohammad Shah Nawaz claimed that the election was largely peaceful. However, he said voting in nine polling centres had been suspended.
“We are using law enforcers to avoid all kinds of violence. However, the incidents of violence are isolated events,” he added.
It is to be noted that a total of 1,119 candidates contested the elections against 243 posts in the 81 upazilas. Of them, 419 were chairman candidates, 423 vice chairman contenders and 277 vice chairman candidates for the post set aside for women.
There are 1,31,85,013 voters — 65,48,772 males and 66,17,182 females — who were supposed to exercise their franchise in 35,331 booths of 5,444 polling stations in the upazilas.
