Untoward incidents such as vandalism and attack on election officials and irregularities including vote rigging and illegal stamping marred the festive mood of the fourth phase of the upazila parishad elections yesterday.
In addition to the four deaths reported in four upazilas centring the fourth phase of the polls yesterday, scores had been injured in nearly half of the places that saw voting.
In at least seven upazilas, BNP-backed candidates called hartals of various durations protesting vote rigging by ruling party candidates and demanding re-election.
In Kalaroa upazila of Satkhira, at least 14 men were injured in violence at various polling stations. Of them, five were wounded in a clash between Awami League and Jamaat supporters at the Chandanpur High School centre where voting remained suspended for an hour.
In the same area, at least 15 Hindu houses were allegedly vandalised.
In Terokhada upazila of Khulna, BNP-backed candidate Mesbahul Alam boycotted the polls alleging that many of the centres had been captured.
In Agoiljhara of Barisal, all candidates except the ruling Awami League-backed one boycotted the polls within the first two hours of voting. Local BNP called a half-day hartal for today in the upazila protesting rigging.
Rebel Awami League candidate Jatindra Nath Mistri alleged that Golam Mortuza Khan – the candidate that the ruling party had backed – and his men harassed his supporters and threatened local voters, especially from the minority communities, to not go to the polling centres.
In Uzirpur upazila, BNP and Jamaat-backed candidates boycotted polls alleging vote rigging by the ruling party-backed candidate.
In Bhola district, all the BNP-backed and rebel candidates in Daulatkhan, Monpura and Tajumuddin upazilas boycotted polls alleging vote rigging and demanding re-election.
In Bhuapur of Tangail, JaPa-backed chairman candidate boycotted the polls alleging vote rigging in at least 18 polling centers. In Kalihati upazila, eight people were injured when supporters of Awami League and BNP locked in a clash. Witnesses said supporters of the Awami League-backed candidate occupied the Soratail government primary school centre.
Reports of at least six people getting injured in clashes and crude bomb explosions came in from the Harinakundu upazila of Jhenaidhah.
In Comilla, clashes, allegation of vote rigging, harassing presiding officers and snatching of ballot papers were reported in Barura and Meghna upazila.
Fakhruddin, presiding officer of the Purbo Nalua Government Primary School polling centre, alleged that holding him at gunpoint on the election eve, supporters of Awami League candidate Mostafizur Rahman stamped on at least 800 ballot papers. Voting was cancelled at centre.
Another presiding officer in the upazila allegedly came under attack by Awami League men when he protested the snatching of ballot papers.
In Satkania upazila of Chittagong, supporters of Awami League-backed candidate Nurul Absar Chowdhury allegedly rigged votes, snatched ballot papers and boxes from a number of polling centres.
In Anwara upazila, BNP-backed candidate Abu Ahmed Hasnat pulled out of the polls following a clash between his and ruling party-backed contestant Mohammad Ali Shah’s supporters near a voting centre. Independent candidate Shamim Hossain was also allegedly assaulted by Awami League men.
Our Chittagong correspondent reported low voter turnouts in a number of polling centres in the Rangunia upazila, especially in the minority community dominated areas.
In Fatikchhari upazila, BNP and Awami League supporters clashed near the Azimnagar Ahmadia Rahmania High School centre in the morning leading to a few hours’ suspension of voting.
In Betagi upazila of Borguna, an agent of the Awami League-backed chairman candidate was jailed for six months on charges of influencing voters.