Torching of campaign booths, hurling crude bombs and violent clashes have continued during the electioneering of the Awami League and the party-backed independent candidates in different places amid heavy deployment of security forces across the country ahead of the January 7 general election.
The violations of electoral codes were also being reported in different constituencies, leading the authorities to issue mostly warnings or show-cause notices for such violations.
Incumbent lawmaker and AL candidate for Jhenaidah-1 Abdul Hyee and two of his supporters were served arrest warrants for violating the electoral code.
He and two others were accused of violating the electoral code by terrorising people by parading on the streets and causing panic.
Two others facing arrest warrants are Shailkupa upazila parishad chairman Abdul Hakim and Saturia union parishad chairman Mahmudul Hasan Mamun.
Additional chief judicial magistrate Boyjoant Biswash issued the arrest wrrants on Wednesday as they failed to respond to the court summons issued earlier, reported New Age correspondent in Kushtia.
The home ministry’s election monitoring cell has received a total of 601 complaints related to electoral violence or breach of the electoral code since December 19, including 43 on Wednesday.
The police headquarters’ deputy inspector general, Md Anwar Hossain, told New Age that they had recorded three cases of torching of election campaign booths in Faridpur-4, Natore-2, and Khulna-5 constituencies between 12:00am and 6:00pm on Wednesday.
In Madaripur, supporters of AL candidate Mohammed Abdus Sobhan Miah, also the inducement lawmaker for Madaripur-3, alleged that his election campaign booth was torched on Tuesday night.
His supporters staged a demonstration in Kalkini upazila on Wednesday and blamed supporters of Tahmina Begum, a member of parliament for the reserved women’s seat and an independent candidate, for the attack.
New Age correspondent in Rajshahi reported that miscreants set fire to a campaign booth of the AL candidate for Natore-2 (Sadar-Naldanga) constituency, Shahfiqul Islam Shimul, in the Dakshinhajra area of Natore town early on Wednesday.
Besides, miscreants also exploded a crude bomb at another campaign booth of Shimul in the Madrasah Mor area of the town on Tuesday night.
Mizanur Rahman, the officer-in-charge of Natore Sadar police station, said that they were aware of the incidents and had been investigating them.
An internal police report showed 28 incidents of arson attacks on campaign booths or properties of rival candidates in December. At least four supporters of the AL-independent candidate for Natore-4 constituency (Gurudaspur-Baraigram) were injured in an attack reportedly carried out by followers of AL candidate Siddiqur Rahman Patwary at Baraigram upazila on Tuesday night.
Anisur Rahman Khechu, former chairman of the Chandai union parishad and a supporter of independent candidate Asif Abdullah bin Quddus Sobhan, alleged that a group of AL candidate’s supporters, led by Wadud Sarkar, carried out a sudden attack on them while they were holding a meeting in front of the Chandai union parishad at about 9:30pm, leaving four people injured.AL candidate Patwary, however, denied the allegation and said that the opposition was carrying out such activities and shifting blame on them.
Md Shafiul Azam Khan, the officer-in-charge of Baraigram police station, said that they had arrested Wadud Sarkar after a case was filed in this regard.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Inquiry Committee for Bogura-1 (Sariakandi-Sonatola) constituency issued a show-cause notice to Hamidul Alam Milon, an additional deputy inspector general of police posted at Barishal Metropolitan Police, for campaigning for his wife and incumbent candidate Sahajadi Alam Lipi in violation of the electoral code. The notice, issued by joint district and sessions judge Shahnaz Parvin, also asked the police official to appear before the committee in-person on Thursday.
New Age Munshiganj correspondent reported that the election campaign booth of Munshiganj-3 AL-nominated candidate Mrinal Kanti Das was attacked at Bajrajogini union on Tuesday night.
United News of Bangladesh reported from Sylhet that the independent candidate for Sylhet-3 constituency Ehteshamul Haque Chowdhury’s election rally came under attack, allegedly from campaigners of the AL candidate and incumbent lawmaker Habibur Rahman Habib on Tuesday. Habib denied the allegations.
New Age
