Three people including a councillor aspirant for the Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) election have been injured in a knife attack during a clash between the followers of the candidate and his rival hopeful.
However, none of them are in a critical state.
The candidate Rajshahi city unit Juba League Vice-President Ashraf Babu and his supporters -- Rezaul Karim and Joy Hossain -- were admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.
The brawl between the followers of Babu and incumbent councillor Touhidul Haq Suman centering the city polls started around 7pm on Saturday in the city's Shiroil Colony area. It was brought under control after police rushed to the scene.
Both are vying for the councillorship of the RCC's ward No 19.
Babu said that a group of armed men took position in front of his election office in the area and clashes surfaced when he and his supporters protested the development.
“As I approached them, they swooped on us with sharp weapons,” he said.
However, Suman rejected the allegation.
The expelled general secretary of the Rajshahi city Juba League claimed that it was Babu's aides who attacked his supporters instead.
Sources say there has been a longstanding rivalry between the two over establishing supremacy and doing business in the area.
Locals said tension rose in the area after the clashes and the situation remained the same until police intervened.
Attesting to the knife attack, Chandrima police station's Officer-in-Charge Rafiqul Islam said that they immediately took control of the situation.
“We'll take action against those responsible once a complaint is filed,” he added.
The election's Returning Officer Md Delwar Hosain said that they were yet to receive any formal complaint over the matter.
The RCC polls will be conducted through EVMs on June 21 at 1,173 booths in 152 centres.
The number of voters in this city corporation is 352,157, with 180,972 of them being women.