Sagar Biswas :The election to the lowest tier of Local Government ended on Saturday claiming three more lives in Noakhali, Feni and Mymensingh and Sunamganj in clashes during voting in the country’s 698 Union Parishds [UP] for the last and sixth phase.With three, more lives lost the UP elections – conducted for the first time under party symbol – witnessed death of 111 people in the six phases. Besides, the number of injured was 4,000 during the aforesaid period. At the same time, several dozens of houses and business establishments were gutted and hundred others either ransacked or demolished during the clashes between rival candidates in different areas. Like the previous phases, the last phase of UP election was also marked by massive vote rigging, ballot stuffing, fake vote casting, occupying of centres by applying force and series of clashes between the supporters of rival candidates. Of the three victims who died yesterday, one was identified as BNP supporter and the rest two were activists of ruling Awami League, local sources said.According to information received in Dhaka, an activist of BNP Nur Hossain Shipon, 25, son of Abdul Karim of Dakkhin Char Kandia, was killed when armed miscreants attacked Char Bhairob Hazi Tofayel Ahmed High School centre under Sonagazi Upazila in Feni. Police sources said a gang of armed hoodlums equipped with automatic firearms forcibly occupied the polling centre. The entire area was rocked when they exploded over a dozen of cocktails. Presiding Officer Md Joynal Abedin said: “Three police personnel, three members of Battalion Ansar and two Assistant Presiding Officers received bullet injuries during the attack. The victim was not a voter. After the attack, the voting was suspended there.”In Noakhali, a leader of the Bangladesh Chhatra League [BCL] was killed in a clash between the supporters of two rival ‘member’ candidates outside a voting centre in a madrasa at Sadar Upazila’s Noazpur Union. The victim, identified as Yeasin Arafat, 26, President of BCL Ward No. 3 of Neyazpur Union of the district’s Sadar upazila, was hacked to death in a clash between supporters of two UP candidates yesterday noon. At least 15 people, were also injured in the incident three of them received bullet wounds.Additional Superintendent of Police [ASP] AKM Jahirul Islam said: “The victim was hacked by the miscreants during the clash. Later, he died on way to Dhaka.”In Mymensingh, one person, identified as Md Shahjahan, 52, was killed during a fierce clash between the supporters of two rival ‘member’ candidates at Pukuria village Gaforgaon at about 3:30pm. He was cousin brother of ‘member’ candidate Mosharraf Hossain. He was allegedly attacked by other ‘member’ candidate Abdul Karim. Earlier on Friday, one person was killed in pre-electoral violence at Anwara Upazila in Chittagong. Meanwhile, about 21 candidates of BNP in Jhinaidah, Pabna, Iswardi, Natore, Savar, Keraniganj, Mymensingh, Noakhali, Gaibandha, yesterday boycotted election raising allegations of vote rigging, centre occupying and gross violation of electoral laws. Besides, four other independent ‘chairman’ candidates of Narail, Pabna and Bogra, boycotted election yesterday on the same ground. Especially, the force occupying of polling centres marked a sharp rise yesterday where activists of ruling party openly extended their support in favour of party-nominated candidates in different unions.Supporters of Awami League nominated candidate Saiful Isalm took control of Khadijatul Kobra Madrassa at Bongaon union in Savar yesterday early hours. “The supporters of Saiful Islam created pressure on voters to cast their votes in favour of Boat “symbol. His supporters harassed on-duty newsmen at that time,” Presiding Officer Shahidul Islam said. The presiding officer halted voting of Ward-7 under Charti union of Satkania upazila in Chittagong when supply of ballot papers of ‘chairman’ candidate were stopped being allegedly pressured by ruling party men.Miscreants tied hands and legs of BNP polling agent Kamal Uddin and stuffed ballots in favour of Awami League candidate Al Amin Biplob at Hatemtai School centre of Longai union under Gofargaon in Mymensingh. Chief Election Commissioner, however, yesterday said that the election in all the six phases were fair and peaceful. “We’ve taken highest possible measures to keep the situation under control. And so, there was not any incident of ballot sealing on the previous night of voting,” the CEC said yesterday in a satisfied tone.The CEC said: “I think, the overall situation has improved. To check violence and electoral irregularities, there must be a reform in the society first. For that reason, we’ve social responsibility also.”Interestingly, the EC officials earlier had alleged that the Home Ministry did not take any effective step to check killings and violence in the UP polls, though it had sent letters several times in this regard. Not only that, no preventive measure was taken though the EC sent letter to Home Ministry asking to take initiatives even in the sixth phase, they had said.
