Violence continues ahead of UP polls, another man killed

Another person was killed on Friday as pre-poll violence continued across the country in the first-ever partisan elections to union parishads, the lowest tier of the local government institutions.
With this, the death toll in pre-poll violence rose to seven while over 500 people were injured in attacks at places after the Election Commission announced the election schedule.
New Age Jessore correspondent reported that an activist of the ruling Awami League was killed and at least 10 others wounded in a pre-polls violence at Nengurahati Bazar of Chaluahati union council under Monirampur upazila.
The violence erupted as an influential leader of the ruling party hurled abusive words at the party’s rebel chairman candidate, said Fazlur Rahman, general secretary, Chaluahati union unit Awami League.
The deceased was identified as Munsur Ali, activist of Awami League and also resident of Chaluahati, Monirampur police officer in-charge Taherul Islam said.
AL leader Fazlur Rahman said at least 10 AL men were wounded as followers of rebel chairman candidate of Chaluahati union council Abdul Hamid swooped on the AL men including the party nominated candidate Abul Islam around 11:00pm on Wednesday.
They carried out the attack as an influential leader of Jessore district unit Awami League verbally abused the rebel candidate at a rally that night.
Munsur Ali and Shaheb Ali were taken to Jessore Medical College Hospital with critical injuries. Munsur was then shifted to Dhaka for better treatment where he died early Friday.
Pre-poll violence, especially attacks on rivals mainly by ruling Awami League activists, continued since the announcement of the elections scheduled.
The EC on Friday sent ballot papers and other polling materials for the forthcoming first phase of the union parished elections in 732 unions scheduled on March 22.
The commission deputy secretary Rakib Uddin Mandal said that the ballot papers were dispatched from five printing presses in Dhaka as the first phase of the staggered elections will be held at 36 districts.
He said election officials in these districts had already received the ballot papers, which will be reached to polling centres a day before the election.
The commission on Friday also asked the government to withdraw Chitalmari upazila nirbahi officer Farid Hossain of Bagerhat district for his alleged involvement in violation of electoral code of conduct.
The commission deputy secretary, Samsul Alam, sent the order to the ministry of public administration.
Chairmen candidates nominated by the ruling Awami League at seven unions of the upazila were already elected unopposed as no other candidate was able to submit nomination paper facing obstacles allegedly by the ruling party men.