A ruling Awami League activist, also a supporter of independent AL candidate, was killed reportedly by supporters of official AL candidate Abdus Sobhan Golap at Kalkini in Madaripur on Saturday as electoral violence, especially attacks on activists of independent AL candidates continued unabated across Bangladesh.
Scores of campaigners of independent candidates, especially from the Awami League, came under attack by the campaigners of official AL candidates while a candidate was targeted during electioneering in Naogaon on Saturday.
In Madaripur, Eskandar Khan, 60, a word AL member and campaigner of independent AL candidate Tahmina Siddique, was hacked reportedly by Golap’s supporters and left critically injured at Lakshmipur of Kalkini Saturday morning.
He died at Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medial College Hospital at around noon.
Police officials said that none was arrested in this regard until 4:45pm on Saturday.
With the latest killing, at least three people have been killed so far and scores injured since the Election Commission announced the schedule for the 12th parliamentary elections on November 15, allowing formal campaigning from December 18.
The ruling Awami League, the Jatiya Party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Movement and independent candidates are contesting the election.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party and many other opposition parties have been calling people to boycott the ‘one-sided’ election and demanding a free and fair election under a non-party caretaker government.
According to AL leaders, the party’s official candidates kept facing challenges from independent AL or dummy candidates in at least 185 parliamentary constituencies, where 382 independent candidates are contesting.
About the latest killing, Madaripur additional police superintendent Kamrul Hassan told New Age that Eskandar was an Awami League activist but supporting independent candidate and he was targeted in the morning by the supporters of rival candidate.
Eskandar later died at the hospital. ‘None have so far been arrested. We have asked the victim family to file a case in this connection and a manhunt has been launched,’ he said.
AL candidate Abdus Sobhan Golap, also the AL publicity and publication secretary, however, said that it was not related to election campaign rather a clash between two families over a land dispute.
Tahmina said that Eskandar used to bring people to her procession. He was called by the supporters of her rival candidate at the dawn and asked him not to work for her, she said.
He was brutally hacked as he refused, said Tahmina, the independent candidate with eagle symbol.
‘Until today, I thought there was an election-friendly environment but now my rival candidate is threatening us to paralyse my supporters,’ she said.
Additional police were deployed in the area as troubles were reported in same constituency on December 21 when another procession of the independent candidate under same police station came under attack.
Following the December 21 attack, a case was filed with Kalkini police station against 77 people on Friday. Two people were arrested in the case.
New Age correspondent reported that chief election commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal, while visiting Barishal, told journalists that everything could not be judged by one incident. ‘We have already started investigating this matter.’
Milon Khan, the eldest son of the victim, also blamed the supporters of Abdus Sobhan Golap led by Fazlul Haque Bepari, former chairman of Lakshmipur union parishad, severely chopped Eskandar.
Fazlul Bepari denied the allegation.
New Age correspondents reported from different districts that scores of people were injured in clashes between supporters of the official AL and independent AL candidates in Kushtia, Munshiganj, Patuakhali, Cumilla, Faridpur, and Narshingdi, among other places, between Friday evening and Saturday evening.
New Age correspondent in Rajshahi reported that at least three supporters of independent candidate SM Brohani Sultan Mahmud for Naogaon 4 (Manda) constituency were injured in an attack reportedly by followers of official AL candidate Nahid Morshed at Moinom Bazar of Manda upazila in Naogaon on Saturday.
Witnesses said that the attack was carried out when the independent candidate along with his supporters gathered at his election camp at Moinam Bazar and was preparing for campaigning.
At about 10:00am, a group of 50–60 supporters of Nahid Morshed, led by Juba League leaders Al-Amin, Ashiqur Rahman and Zillur Rahman, attacked the independent candidate and his supporters, leaving three people injured, the witnesses said.
Neither Brohani Sultan Mamud nor Nahid Morshed were available for comments despite repeated attempts.
Manda police station officer-in-charge Mozammel Haque Kazi said that no complaint was lodged Bazar till filing this report at 6:40pm.
New Age correspondent in Munshiganj reported that AL supporters alleged that their Bhaberchar union party office at Gazaria was vandalised by supporters of independent AL candidate Mohammad Faysal Biplob.
Faysal denied the allegation. Gazaria police officer-in-charge Rajib Khan said supporters of independent candidate vandalised the office following an alteration over lowering the public announcement system of the AL activists.
In Faridpur, at least 15 supporters of Faridpur-3 independent candidate AK Azad came under attack at Ishan Gopalpur union Friday night.
AK Azad alleged that supporters of rival candidate led by Ishan Gopalpur union chairman Shahidul Islam carried out the attack. Shahidul denied the allegation.
In Kushtia, a clash broke out between the supports of official AL candidate Selim Altaf George and independent AL candidate Abdur Rouf at Joy Bangla Bazar of Kumarkhali at about 8:30pm on Friday, leaving six people from both sides injured.
In Cumilla, at least 15 people were injured in clashes between supports of AL candidate and independent candidate at Chandina Friday night.
In Narsingdi, a factional clash broke out within AL supporters over hanging banner at Palash Friday evening.
United News of Bangladesh reported that seven people were injured in a clash between supporters of AL candidate Muhibur Rahman Muhib and independent AL candidate Mahbubur Rahman Talukder of Patuakhali-4 constituency at Bortakia village in Kolapara Friday evening.
Mahipur police station officer-in-charge Anwar Hossain Talukder said the situation was under control.
Several breaches of the electoral code of conduct were also reported in different places.
In Lalmonirhat, an executive magistrate fined Aditmari unit Bangladesh Chhatra League secretary HM Niamul Alam Nayeem Tk 50,000 for tearing poster of independent AL candidate Sirazul Haque.
The Election Commission on Saturday decided to withdraw the officers-in-charge of Sailkupa and Harinakunda in Jhenaidah following recommendations from district administration.
New Age
