From the very beginning of the campaigns for Chattogram City Corporation polls, the rebel candidates have been a big headache for the Awami League high-ups as a number of party men went against the central decision to run for councillor in the high-voltage local body election.
According to the party sources, at least 22 rebel councillor candidates took part in yesterday’s polls, defying repeated directives from the AL central leaders to quit the race since the campaigns started on January 8.
Among the 22 candidates, at least 12 are said to be loyal to immediate-past CCC mayor AJM Nasir, who failed to get the party ticket to contest the mayoral election.
Rivalry between supporters of Nasir and deputy minister for education Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, son of former mayor, late ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, was a much-talked issue during the run-up to the CCC polls.
It was feared by many locals, political leaders and law enforcement agencies that this intra-party feuds might ruin the elections atmosphere .
The AL high-ups apparently tried to deter the rebel candidates from contesting the polls and repeatedly warned of stern actions for defying the party decision.
A section of AL leaders, however, questioned the seriousness and sincerity of the central leaders who were given charge to resolve the conflict.
For example, they said, not a single AL man was expelled or served any show-cause notice for going against the central directives.
There is a provision in the party charter for expelling anyone even without issuing any show-cause notice but the party high-ups didn’t do so, local AL local leaders said.
Sensing possible untoward incidents centring on the rivalries, law enforcement agencies and the Election Commission had taken some measures.
Around 15,000 members of law enforcement agencies were deployed apart from teams of executive and judicial magistrates to maintain law and order.
But nothing worked and the apprehension came true as the AL-supported councillor candidates and rebels from the party were locked in sporadic clashes in some eight wards, leaving at least one killed and around a hundred injured yesterday.
The deceased has been identified as Alauddin, 28, who was killed during violence in Ambagan area of CCC ward-13 (Pahartoli).
Alauddin suffered bullet injuries when a clash erupted in front of USEP Technical School between the activists of AL-backed councillor candidate Wasim Uddin Ahmed and that of rebel candidate Mahmudul Karim around 9:00am.
Besides, another person identified as Nizam Uddin Munna, 28, was also killed in Bara Quarter area in ward-12 (Saraipara) allegedly by his brother near a polling station.
Locals termed it an outcome of conflict over polls as the siblings were loyal to two rival councillor candidates in CCC ward-12 (Saraipara). But police said the killing has nothing to do with the election violence and it is a family feud.
