The increasing number of clashes between the supporters of official candidates and independent or dummy candidates for the January 7 general election sparked tension in the ruling Awami League as electioneering was held for the fourth day on Thursday.
The situation is feared to aggravate in the coming days, prompting the AL president and prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to issue a strong warning against electoral violence on Thursday.
Addressing several election rallies virtually from the AL office in Tejgaon, Hasina said that strict measures would be taken if anyone from the party was found involved in clashes in the election.
‘There are candidates of the boat [AL electoral symbol], independents, and other parties in the vote. Whoever the people vote for will be elected. No one can interfere with anyone’s rights. I don’t want to see any conflict or fight in the election,’ she said.
Warning the party people, she said that if anyone from the party was found involved in conflicts, the person would not be spared and appropriate action would be taken against the person.
‘We want people to exercise their right to vote without hindrance. If democracy cannot be strengthened, Bangladesh will end,’ she said.
Asked about the situation, Sushasoner Jonno Nagorik secretary Badiul Alam Majumder told New Age that such a situation was predicted earlier as AL made the election field open for their people to make the poll vibrant in the absence of opposition parties.
‘We have seen such massive infighting between the ruling party people during local government elections that were also boycotted by opposition parties,’ he said.
Election expert Tofail Ahmed echoed Badiul Alam.
He told New Age that the AL had taken a challenge to create a joyful atmosphere of election as major rivals of the ruling party were not participating in the polls.
In such circumstances, violence is unavoidable, he said.
‘Now, it is the responsibility of the AL to take the situation under control,’ he added.
According to AL leaders, the party’s official candidates are facing challenges from AL independent or dummy candidates in at least 185 parliamentary constituencies, where 382 independent candidates are contesting.
About the matter, Awami League joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nashim told New Age that Awami League president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina had said that the election would be free and fair.
‘If anyone clashes here, there is law for him. If anyone commits any offence under the criminal law, action will be taken against him. The election commission is for this,’ he said.
Asked about party discipline, he said that it would be seen after the election whether any action against anyone was needed or not.
On Thursday, New Age correspondents reported from different districts that scores of people were injured in clashes between supporters of the AL official and its independent candidates.
In Madaripur, at least 10 people were injured in a clash between AL official candidate Abdus Sobhan Mia and AL independent candidate Tahmina Akhtar in the Madaripur-3 constituency.
The clash took place at the Mridhar crossing area of Lakshmipur union of Kalkini upazila on Thursday afternoon.
Locals said that the campaign was going on under the leadership of former union parishad chairman Tofazzal Hossain, a supporter of the independent candidate.
The campaign for official candidate Sobhan was going on under the leadership of Fazlul Haque Bepari, a former chairman of the same union.
The clash took place when activists of the two candidates came face-to-face.
Locals also said that some crude bombs also exploded at that time.
Ten people, including former UP chairman Tofazzal Hossain, were injured in the clash.
Kalkini police station officer-in-charge Nazmul Hasan said that the police reached the spot on information and brought the situation under control.
In Cumilla, AL independent candidate for Cumilla-11 constituency Mizanur Rahman said in a public Facebook post said that activists of his opponent candidate were destroying his campaign materials in some areas in violation of election conduct rules.
He is contesting the polls against incumbent AL lawmaker and former railway minister Mujibul Haque.
Mujibul, however, denied the allegation.
‘I don’t know anything about it,’ he said.
In Faridpur, a supporter of AK Azad, an independent candidate for the Faridpur-3 constituency, was allegedly hacked by unidentified attackers on Thursday while he was pasting posters at Umedia Bazar in Faridpur Sadar upazila as part of the electoral campaign.
The injured man was identified as Aziz Sheikh, 30, a resident of the area.
According to witnesses, four to five miscreants attacked Aziz Sheikh while he was pasting posters of AK Azad’s ‘Eagle’ symbol at Umedia Bazar.
They allegedly threatened Aziz, saying that they wouldn’t allow any posters for the ‘Eagle’ symbol there, and physically assaulted him.
Aziz was admitted to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College Hospital in Faridpur.
Relatives of Aziz sought justice for the victim.
Fridpur Kotwali police station officer-in-charge Shahidul Islam, however, said that they had not received any allegation over the matter.
New Age correspondent in Munshiganj reported that supporters of independent candidate Faisal Biplob have been accused of hacking an activist named Samad Molla of AL candidate Mrinal Kanti Das for Munshiganj-3 constituency while pasting a poster.
The incident took place in the Rahipara area of Adhara Union around 4:30pm on Thursday.
Injured Samad, the vice president of the Adhara Union Awami Swechchasebak League, was admitted to Munshiganj General Hospital.
Munshiganj Sadar police station officer-in-charge Aminul Islam said that legal action would be taken if a written complaint was filed with the police in this regard.
In Chattogram, supporters of AL candidate Abu Reza Nadwi allegedly vandalised the election office and car and set fire to the election office of independent candidate Abdul Motaleb of Chattogram-15 seat.
The incident took place in the West Dhemsha Ichamati Alinagar area of the upazila early Thursday.
Satkania Circle additional superintendent of police Shibli Noman and Satkania police officer-in-charge Priton Sarkar visited the spot after receiving information about the incident.
Mamunur Rashid, a local resident of Ichamati, said that a group of 20 to 30 outsiders, including incumbent AL lawmaker Nadwi’s follower Riazuddin Riad, came with weapons and vandalised the election office of independent candidate Abdul Motaleb, shouting slogans in the name of the Awami League candidate.
Independent candidate Abdul Motaleb told reporters that supporters of the boat candidate attacked his election office in the area.
When asked about this, Riazuddin Riad said that he was not present in the area on Thursday.
‘I have been in Chattogram city for a week. People of independent candidates have caused this incident by shooting themselves and vandalising the car to frame us.’
Police officer Shibli Noman said that they would analyse CCTV footage of the nearby areas to identify the people involved in the incident.
In Sirajganj, Shahidul Islam, a supporter of Awami League candidate Abdul Momin Mandal for Sirajganj-5 constituency, has been accused of beating Chan Mia, an activist of independent candidate Abdul Latif Biswas, for refusing to work for the boat.
The incident took place in the Betil area of Enayetpur police station around 12:00pm on Thursday.
Chan Mia has filed a complaint with the police in this regard.
Enayetpur police officer-in-charge Abdur Razzak said that police would investigate the matter.
New Age