Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
The ruling Awami League (AL) led grand alliance men allegedly carried out massive attacks and firing on BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s motorcade in Thakurgaon, and several other districts
They also set fire on houses of the BNP leaders and campaigners on the first day (Tuesday) of the formal campaign.
In Thakurgaon, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Isalm Alamgir’s motorcade was attacked reportedly by local Awami League men in his hometown on Tuesday afternoon.
Some 40-50 men attacked the motorcade at 1:00pm, said Syrul Kabir Khan, a press wing staff of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
The respected senior politician went to his hometown yesterday morning a day after the Election Commission opened the field for Election Campaign.
He was at Danarhat, Thakurgaon Sadar to meet families of detained BNP leaders when men with sticks and sharp weapons pounced on his motorcade.
“They were all from the ruling Awami League, and vandalised four vehicles and injured eight to 10 BNP men,” Shariful Islam Sharif, a local BNP leader, told our local correspondent.
Fakhrul’s personal secretary Eunus Ali said there was a police van parked nearby when the attack took place at Danarhat area, Thakurgaon Sadar.
District Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal President Md Kaes told our local correspondent that the attack was carried in front of Awami League office at Danarhat.
Bani Amin, Awami League President of Begunbari Union, rejected the accusation and said rogues from BNP and Jamaat were involved.
Officer in-charge (OC) of Thakurgaon Police Station, Mostafijur Rahman said that Fakhrul violated election code and visited Begunbari union. “This visit was not mentioned in his application.”
However, police went to the spot and rescued the BNP activists safely, the OC added.
In Noakhali, a local leader of Jubo League was shot dead by ‘hired miscreants’ in Sadar upazila of Noakhali district in the evening, reports our
Noakhali Correspondent quoting Police and witnesses.
The deceased identified as Md Hanif, 24, was the General Secretary of Ward No. 9 of Eojbalia union in the upazila, said, Anwar Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Sudharam Police Station.
District Jubo League unit Convener Imon Bhatto said that Hanif was gunned down by miscreants backed by political rivalry centering election campaign.
In Bogra, two houses of a Jubo Dal leader were torched and his family members beaten by Awami League men at Rangamati Kumarkhali village in Dhunatupazila of Bogra district.
“Alangi union Chairman Ma Tarek Helal led the arson attack. Action will be taken against those involved if the victims press charges,” Dhunat Police Sub-Inspector Shafiqul Islam.
Murad said around 40-50 of Helal’s men attacked the two houses at night, set fire to his home and walloped his uncle Abdul Kader.
In Chattogram, dozens of activists of the ruling Awami League were injured, seven of them ‘bullet-hit’, in a factional clash in Chattogram’s Fatikchhari upazila.
Of the injured, Abdul Kuddus, 50, Kakon, 27, Sourabh Hossain, 25, Syed Emdad Hossain, 56, Rashed Alam, 25, Azam, 26 and Nurul Amin, 30, received bullets, said Fatikchhari Police Station OC Babul Akhter.
“The supporters of AL-nominated MP aspirant Syed Najibul Bashar Maijbhandari locked horn with the followers of AL rebel candidate ATM Peyarul Islam over poll campaign around 9:pm on Monday, leaving dozens of people injured,” the OC said.
In Narsingdi, at least 10 BNP men were injured when AL men carried out an attack on rally of BNP’s Narsigdi-4 candidate Dr Mion Khan at Balabo in Palash upazia in the afternoon.
They also vandalished 10 motorcycles and hijacked four other bikes from the spot,
In Sherpur, BNP candidate Mamudul Haq Ruble was barred to campaign in Kharia Kazir Char Union in Sreebardi upaziala.
In Sirajganj, at least 10 people were injured and a BNP office was vandalised in the violence in at least two places in Sirajganj.
The clash at Chak Shialkol LGED bend started when supporters of Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, a Vice-Chairman of the BNP, took out a procession to celebrate the High Court orders allowing him to contest for Sirajganj-2 in the polls, witnesses said.
Two crude bombs were detonated during the clash there. Later police brought the situation under control.
In Netrakona, an Awami League office was vandalised and at least three people were injured. Durgapur Police Station OC Mizanur Rahman said some supporters of the Awami League and the BNP got into a fight at Makrail Bazar in the evening.
In Cumilla, at least 10 people were injured in sporadic clashes between supporters of the Awami League and the BNP in Kalirbazar, Durgapur Uttar Union, Muradpur and Chortha areas of Cumilla sadar after the electoral symbols were allotted to the MP candidates.
In Natore, at least 15 campaigners, including BNP lead alliance Natore-1 candidate Manzurul Islam, were injured following a attacked by miscreants in the distrcit’s Lalpoor upazila on Tuesday.
In Jamalpur, Oikyiofront’s BNP aspirant Mostafizur Rahman Babul and 15 others were attacked by local AL men at Melananda upzila.
In Meherpur, at least five person were injured following a clash between AL-BNP men centering election campaign in Gangni upazila.
In Chandpur, Over 20 people, including four policemen, were injured in a clash between BNP men and law enforcers in Chandpur’s Faridganj upazila.
Hazi Yeasin, BNP nominated candidate from Cumilla-6, alleged that the local ruling party men swooped on members of his party in different places when they were holding processions with the “sheaf of paddy”, BNP’s electoral symbol.
