At least eight people were killed in violence centring yesterday’s Union Parishad election, marred by allegations of rigging, ballot snatching and storming of polling stations.
Seven of the victims, including a woman, died in skirmishes after the polls in Pirojpur, Cox’s Bazar and Sirajganj. Sporadic clashes during the election left scores injured.
The Awami League said voting was free and fair but the BNP dubbed the polls a “farce”, alleging large-scale rigging by ruling party candidates. Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad said voting was largely peaceful.
Polling was suspended at 56 centres during the first phase election to 712 UPs. Until 1am today, Awami League candidates won in 337 UPs and BNP in 34 while candidates from other parties won in 51 UPs.
In Pirojpur’s Mathbaria, BGB shot men who attempted to snatch ballot boxes after the election.
“BGB troopers were carrying ballot boxes from Safa Degree College polling centre at Dhonisafa union when they were attacked. The border guards opened fire as per Executive Magistrate Kazi Ziaul’s order, killing at least three,” Police Superintendent Walid Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune.
Mathbaria police station OC Khandaker Mostafizur Rahman said five others were injured. Two of them died while being taken to Barisal.
In Cox’s Bazar, a gunfight between supporters of Awami League candidate and the renegade aspirant left one Shafik Alam, 25, dead. Locals said the skirmish broke out when votes were being counted at Majherpara polling station at Shahfarid Dwip under Teknaf’s Shaparan union.
Shafik and 15 others were shot. He died while being taken to hospital.
In Sirajganj, a woman was killed in a clash between supporters of two UP candidates at Dhangara UP. She was the mother-in-law of Nawab Ali, who won the polls.
In Jhalakathi, clash between rival candidates at Sadar upazila’s Nabagram UP killed one Abul Kashem Sikdar, 60, brother of member candidate Chunnu Sikdar.
EC Mohammad Abu Hafiz said he hoped the voter turnout would be around 60%. Altogether 36,456 candidates contested the polls. As many as 54 chairmen, 179 members and 54 reserved-seat women members were elected unopposed.
Election observer BROTEE in a statement said ruling party men took position inside some polling stations. It reported vote rigging, ballot snatching, attacking election officials and storming voting centres.
EC Hafiz told the media that there were reported irregularities at several polling stations in Noakhali, Satkhira and Chittagong.
At least four people were injured in police firing when the law enforcers moved in to rein in clashes at Kutuba school centre at Bhola’s Borhanuddin upazila. Police separately shot four men – two each in Khulna and Satkhira – in their bid to prevent vote rigging. Several BNP candidates boycotted polls alleging irregularities.
In Sylhet, Chhatra League activists attacked the Akhalia Government Primary School centre at Tukerbazar union. In Barisal, voting was cancelled at two centers and suspended at six others.
In Munshiganj, BNP candidate Abdul Khalek Shikdar was allegedly attacked by his Awami League rival in Roshunia union. AL and BNP chairman candidates were greeted by hostile crowds when they tried to occupy a polling centre at Pangashi under Raiganj upazila of Sirajganj.
“...We have heard about some incidents but overall the election ended peacefully and in festive mood,” the CEC said.