An elderly person was shot dead and 30 others injured, including 10 with bullets, during a gunfight between the supporters of Awami League and BNP-backed mayoral candidates at a polling centre in Kanchan municipality under Rupganj, Narayanganj yesterday.
The deceased was identified as Sukomol Datta, 55, a betel leaf trader. He lived at Tarail Paschimpara.
Twenty more people were injured in a separate clash between the supporters of two chairman candidates at another centre around 10:30am.
The people of Kanchan municipality voted after 11 years to elect a mayor and councillors.
According to witnesses and police, supporters of Awami League-backed councillor candidate Mohon tried to grab the polling centre in Tarail Government Primary School around 10:30am. They sprayed bullets indiscriminately and blasted 10-12 crude bombs.
Sukomol died being hit by bullets. Later police and BGB members went to the spot and fired blank shots to bring the situation under control.
Additional Superintendent of Police in Narayanganj Md Zakaria said the gunfight had ensued when the supporters of BNP-backed mayoral candidate tried to resist Mohon’s men.
In another incident, around 10:45am, the supporters of ruling AL-backed chairman candidate Rafiqul Islam went to Hatabo Government Primary School and tried to grab the polling centre. At that time, the supporters of BNP-backed candidate Mojibur Rahman Bhuiyan and independent candidate Dewan Abu Bashar obstructed them.
The groups then locked into clashes, blasted bombs and fired bullets. Police later scattered them by firing blank shots. After the clash, the injured were admitted in different hospitals.