The fourth phase of 91 upazila parishads election in 43 districts was marked by clashes among supporters of rival candidates and widespread violence that left at least four people dead and scores of others injured in different places including Munshiganj, Jhalakathi, Brahmanbaria and Comilla districts.
In Gazaria upazila of Munshiganj, a local leader of ruling Awami League – Shamsuddin Prodhan, 65, chairman of Baluakandi union and president of AL local unit – was hacked to death during a clash with party’s rival groups at a polling station of the union.
Equipped with lethal weapons, supporters of AL-backed candidate Amirul Islam and AL rebel candidate Refayetullah Khan Tota locked in a clash in front of Dr Abdul Gaffar School and College polling centre in the morning leaving Shamsuddin Prodhan dead on the spot, said Presiding Officer Sarwar Morshed Chowdhury.
The voting in the centre was later postponed.
Voting in two other centres of the upazila – Poikharpar Primary School and Baghaiakandi Primary School- was also postponed following reports of irregularities.
In three separate incidents, a Jubo League activist was killed in Rajapur upazila of Jhalakathi, a local BNP leader was killed in Akhaura upazila of Brahmanbaria and another man was killed in Comilla in police firing.
In Jhalakathi, Jubo League activist Ripon Bepari, 32, was killed in an attack allegedly by BNP men in Rajapur upazila, reports said.Ripon came under attack when he was returning from Tarabunia Government Primary School polling centre.
The BNP supporters stabbed Ripon with sharp weapons, leaving him severely injured. Ripon succumbed to his injuries on way to Dhaka. In Brahmanbaria, a local BNP leader was killed after receiving a bullet injury during a clash between the activists of AL and BNP near a polling centre in Akhaura upazila. He was identified as Hadith Mia, a local leader of the BNP, Officer in charge of Akhaura said. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), he said had to open fire towards the end of voting when an attempt was made to capture a booth. Ripon came under attack when he was returning from Tarabunia Government Primary School polling centre.
The BNP supporters stabbed Ripon with sharp weapons, leaving him severely injured. Ripon succumbed to his injuries on way to Dhaka.
In Brahmanbaria, a local BNP leader was killed after receiving a bullet injury during a clash between the activists of AL and BNP near a polling centre in Akhaura upazila. He was identified as Hadith Mia, a local leader of the BNP, Officer in charge of Akhaura said. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), he said had to open fire towards the end of voting when an attempt was made to capture a booth.
In Comilla, a man was killed when police opened fire during a clash between AL and BNP at Maheshpur a polling centre in Barura upazila.
The victim was identified as Monir Hossain, 25, son of Mafizuddin of Hossainpur village in the upazila. Police said when a group of BNP activists attacked Maheshpur police centre to snatch ballot boxes, supporters of AL candidate resisted them resulting in the clash in the morning hours. At one stage police opened fire. Police fired 30 rounds of bullets to bring the situation under control. The incident occurred at Moheshpur Government Primary polling centre in the afternoon. Monir, who sustained bullet injuries in his waist, succumbed to his injuries at Khulna Medical College Hospital.
The victim might have caught in line of the fire by law enforcers, said AKM Kawser, officer-in-charge of Barua Police Station. Poura BNP general secretary Kabir Hossain Patwary claimed Monir as BNP man.
In Kalaroa, at least 14 persons were injured in election related violence at various polling stations. Of them, five were injured in a clash between the supporters of Awami League and Jamaat at Chandanpur High School centre, where voting remained suspended for an hour and four were injured in a clash at Damdarkati polling stations.
Voting was suspended in 32 centers in 11 upazilas due to various irregularities and violence, said acting Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Abdul Mubarak. The polling was held from 8am to 4pm without any break amid violence, capturing of polling stations, snatching of ballot boxes and election boycott by at least six chairman candidates, mostly backed by BNP , EC sources said. Chairman candidates in Pirojpur Sadar and Mathbaria upazilas, Khulna’s Terokhada and Bhola’s Monpura upazila boycotted the elections raising allegations of capturing polling stations and casting fake votes, while polling in eight polling stations was postponed in Patuakhali Sadar.
In Patuakhali Sadar upazila, voting in eight centres was suspended to check possible violence and casting of fake votes, Nazmul Alam, district election officer said. Besides, 14 people were injured in polls violence at Kalaroa in Satkhira, while some 2,400 ballot papers were snatched away from two centres at Barua in Comilla.
However, voting in some other places, including Sylhet region, was largely peaceful. In Pirojpur sadar, BNP-backed chairman candidate Eliza Zaman and Independent candidate Shahnaz Parvin Shanu submitted letters to the returning officer concerned announcing that they boycotted the polls and demanded re-voting in the upazila on charge of capturing polling stations and casting fake votes.
In Mathbaria, BNP-backed chairman contender Ruhul Amin Dulal and Jatiya Party candidate Mizanur Rahman boycotted the election at 11:45am on allegation of capturing 76 polling centres out of 77 in the upazila. In Terokhada, BNP- backed candidate Mesbahul Alam announced at 11am that he pulled out from the polls race raising allegation of capturing the centres and vote rigging.
In Comilla’s Barua upazila, AL rebel chairman candidate Mazharul Islam Mithu was detained and allegedly tortured by the law enforcers.
Besides, a total of 1200 ballot papers were allegedly snatched from Kadba Talagram Tahiri Laha High School centre and presiding officer of the centre Mohiuddin Shahjahan came under attack when he went to resist ballot snatching. Presiding officer of Baghmara Poura Govt Primary School polling station Gopal Krishna Chakrabharti said miscreants snatched some 1,200 ballot papers of chairman candidates keeping him confined to a room. Presiding officer of Purba Nalua Primary School Centre Fakhruddin said a group of miscreants cast some 800 fake votes holding him hostage at gunpoint.
Miscreants stuffed 1,200 fake votes in ballot boxes at Adampur Primary School centre assaulting its presiding officer Abdul Mannan.
A total of 1,186 candidates are contesting the elections against 273 posts in the 91 upazilas. Of them, 389 are chairman candidates, 485 vice chairman contenders and 312 vice chairman candidates for the post set aside for women. The 91 upazilas have 1,38,59,278 voters, including 69,07,956 men and 69,51,322 women.
There are 37,338 booths of 5884 polling stations in the upazilas.
Meanwhile, the commission has held elections to 293 upazila parishads – 98 upazilas in the first phase, 114 upazilas in the second phase and 81 in the third phase.
