Four people were killed and scores injured as voting in the 4th phase election to over 700 union parishads in 87 upazilas of the country’s 46 districts began on Saturday morning amid sporadic violence and stuffing.
The balloting began at 8:00am and continued till 4:00pm without any break.
Meanwhile, 33 chairman, 227 member and 98 women candidates for reserved seats have already been elected uncontested.
A man was killed and five others injured in a clash between the supporters of two member candidates at Chandla Bazar in Brahmanpara of Comilla on Saturday.
Police said an altercation ensued between the supporters of two member candidates — Sultan Ahmed and Rezaul Karim of Chandla union parishad around 11:00am.
At one stage of altercation, both the groups attacked each other, leaving one person killed and five others injured, said Badiuzzaman, officer-in-charge of Brahmanpara police station.
The deceased was identified as Tapas Das, 30, of Chandla, said the OC.
The injured were rushed to Brahmanpara Upazila Health Complex.
In Narsingdi, a supporter of Awami League rebel chairman candidate was hacked to death by supporters of Awami League-nominated chairman candidate for Srinagar union parishad in Raipur.
The supporters of Russell Khan, AL-backed candidate, stormed into the Rangpur Government Primary School centre around 8:30am and tried to stamp ballot papers while activists of the rebel candidate resisted them, said Azharul Islam, officer-in-charge of Raipur police station.
At one stage of chaos, activists of the chairman candidate hacked Sumon Mia, 26, supporter of the rebel candidate Azam Chowdhury, indiscriminately.
He was rushed to the upazila health complex where physician declared him dead.
Another man was killed in a clash between the supporters of AL candidate and AL rebel candidate at village Madhya Nagar in Paratali union under Raipur.
Zakir Hossain, additional police super of Narsingdi, said the deceased, Hossain Ali, was killed in polls violence over establishing supremacy.
‘He was hit with spear during the clash… He died on way to hospital’, said Zakir.
Locals said the supporters of AL candidate Masudur Rahman and AL rebel Jakir Hossain locked in clash near a polling station around 1:00pm.
In another incident, the followers of AL rebel chairman candidate Abdul Haq Sarker entered into Darigaon Government Primary School centre under Nilokhya union around 9:30am and tried to seal the ballots.
Supporters of AL chairman candidate Tajul Islam Khan chased them. The followers of Abdul Haq blasted crude bombs and created panic in the area. They again tried to stamp ballots while law enforcing agencies dispersed them by chasing and firing several rounds of teargas shells.
Raipur upazila nirbahi officer Abdul Matin suspended polls for hours and resumed the voting around 12:00pm.
In Thakurgaon, an examinee of Higher School Certificate examination was killed and 10 others were injured in a clash among the supporters of two member candidates at Paria union in Baliadangi.
The clash took place around 12:30pm over establishing supremacy at Shaldanga Dakhil Madrassah polling centre, said presiding officer Mojibar Rahman.
The deceased was identified as Mahabub Alam, son of Abdul Jabbar, a resident of the union. Among the injured, two were sent to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.
Reports from Chhagalnaiya of Feni said clashes between supporters of Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party over occupying polling centres left at least four people wounded with gunshots. The clash took place at Jagannath Sonapur polling centre of Shubhapur union early in the morning.
Chhagalnaiya police officer-in-charge Rashed Khan Chowdhury said supporters of member candidates Mosharraf Hossain and Anwar Hossain locked in clash at around 6:00am.
In Comilla, voting in two centres in Munshirhat union of Chauddagram and Joag union of Chandina were suspended on allegation of stamping ballot papers forcibly.
Rashedul Islam, district senior election officer, said four people, including the presiding officer, entered Jugirthat Primary School polling centre early in the morning and started stamping the ballot papers before the start of election.
On information, police rushed in and arrested presiding officer Mobarak Hossain and three other outsiders from the centre and the authorities later suspended voting there.
Besides, voting in Joag polling centre in Joag union of Chandina was suspended on allegation of stamping 1,000 ballot papers.
In Sherpur, a mobile court on Friday night sentenced a presiding officer to seven days’ jail and a member candidate to one month’s jail over a bribe deal ahead of the 4th phase of UP election in Hatibandha union of Jhenaigati.
Sources said Saiful Islam, a member candidate of Hatibandha union parishad, provided Tk 10,000 as bribe to Abdul Barik, a presiding officer of Loykha Government Primary School polling centre.
The deal was made half a kilometre away from the polling centre around 10:00pm.
As the act came to local people’s notice, they caught the duo red-handed and beat up presiding officer Abdul Barik.
On information, police rushed in and rescued Barik.
Later the authorities withdraw the presiding officer from the polling centre and produced the duo before a mobile court.
The court handed down the jail terms to them.
Mokhlesur Rahman, district election officer, said a presiding officer named Nazmul Haque was appointed for the polling centre.
Over 34,000 candidates, including nearly 3,200 chairman contenders, are in the 4th phase election race. Besides, 24,000 member candidates and 7,000 contenders for the reserved seat are contesting the polls.
Among the chairman candidates, some 1,700 are from 15 political parties and 1,500 are independent contestants.
Among the 709 UPs that went to polls, AL has candidates in 708 UPs, while BNP in 604 UPs and HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party in 152 UPs.
Like the first three phases of the UP elections, at least 33 chairman candidates, all from ruling Awami League, have already been elected uncontested finding no rival candidates against their respective posts in the 4th phase.
With the 33 single chairman candidates, some 150 contenders were elected unopposed in the first four phases.
Source: New Age