Bangladesh’s first partisan municipal elections ended yesterday amid reports of violent clashes that left one dead and scores injured.
In Chittagong’s Satkania upazila, Nurul Alam, 48, was killed during an exchange of gunfire between the supporters of rival Awami League council candidates.
The slain blanket shop owner based in Maheshkhali upazila in Cox’s Bazar district had returned home to Satkania to vote.
“Nurul was killed when supporters of council candidates Monirul Islam and Mozzamel Hoque traded fire in front of Satkania Government College polling centre on Wednesday morning,” Chittagong police Superintendent Hafiz Akhter confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune.
Most incidents of violence were reported to take place after ruling party activists attempted to take over polling centres and drive away opposition supporters, the Dhaka Tribune’s correspondents report.
Polling centres in some areas were rocked by bomb blasts.
Allegations of vote rigging were reported in many municipalities. A number of polling centres cancelled the vote while others temporarily suspended voting because of clashes and allegations of ballot rigging.
Violent clashes left more than a hundred people – 120 in the most recent tally – injured in at least 16 districts, correspondents reported.
Chittagong candidate attacked
BNP-nominated mayoral candidate in Sitakunda municipality Syed Abul Mansur yesterday alleged that ruling party men launched an assault on him in Panthichhila.
His supporters took him to Sitakunda upazila Health Complex where he received treatment.
“A group of youths armed with sharp weapons swooped on me at around 8:20 am when I went to see observe the polls in the Panthichhila area under Sitakunda municipality in Chittagong. The miscreants also vandalised my vehicle. On-duty law enforcers came to my rescue when I was attacked,” Abul Mansur said.
Returning Officer and Sitakunda Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nazmul Islam Bhuiyan confirmed that the candidate had lodged a complaint of assault. “We are looking into the complaint. The law enforcers were dispatched to the spot to bring the situation under control.”
Awami League-backed mayoral candidate in Sitakunda municipality Badiul Alam said: “The allegation levelled by my rival candidate is totally baseless. Voters are casting their votes in a festive atmosphere.”
Attacks on mayoral candidates also took place elsewhere during the municipal elections yesterday.
In Tangail, Bhuapur rebel candidate Tariqul Islam Chanchal and his agent Aminul Islam Babul sustained injuries when Awami League-backed Masudul Haq Masud’s supporters attacked them at Ghatandi polling centre around 9:30am.
After being assaulted allegedly by ruling party activists in Feni yesterday, BNP mayoral candidate Kazi Saifur Rahman of Daganbhuiyan municipality later boycotted the election.
Countrywide confrontations
In Dhamrai municipality, a clash between Awami League and BNP-backed council candidates at the Islampur Government Primary School polling centre left four people injured. Four others, including BNP-backed council candidate Shishir Ferdous, were detained.
The Awami League mayoral candidate Golam Kabir Molla’s son, Mohsin Hasan, was arrested around noon by a mobile court as he attempted to cast fake votes at the Dhamrai Government University College polling centre.
At least 15 people sustained injuries when miscreants vandalised Gagan Memorial High School polling centre in Barguna district around 9:15 am yesterday. Fifteen bystanders were injured during an altercation between activists and law enforcers.
Clashes took place between the supporters of Awami League and BNP candidates at six polling centres in Jamalpur municipality, leaving at least 25 people injured.
In Panjupara polling centre in Kuakata, clashes left seven people injured when ruling party activists voting for their mayoral candidate got into a scuffle with BNP supporters.
In Moulvibaar Sadar municipality, at least 15 people sustained injuries during a clash between Awami League and BNP supporters.
Tangail district’s Bhuapur upazila parishad Vice Chairman Shahinul Islam was injured during a clash between rival groups of Awami League supporters at Bhuapur Model School polling centre. Later, the supporters of Awami League-backed Masudul Haq Masud swooped down on supporters of BNP candidate Abdul Khalek Mondol, injuring seven.
At least seven people were injured in two separate clashes between AL and BNP men at two polling centres in Matlab municipality, Chandpur district.
In Manikganj, five people were injured in tripartite clashes among the supporters of Awami League-backed mayoral candidate Ramjan Ali, AL rebel mayoral candidate Gazi Kamrul Huda Selim and BNP-backed aspirant Jadu Mia at Shaheed Titumir Academy polling centre around 8:30am.
In Gaibandha’s Gobindaganj municipality, at least five people were injured in clashes between supporters of rival council candidates.
Three BNP poll agents were beaten up by supporters of the ruling Awami League in Swarupkathi municipality in Pirojpur, when several non-residents reportedly forced their ways into the centre to forcibly cast votes.
In Pabna, at least five people sustained injuries in separate clashes between AL candidates and rebel candidates at three polling centres in Sujapur municipality.
Meanwhile, at least five people were injured during a chase between supporters of the BNP and the Awami League in Phulbaria municipality, Mymensingh.
Seven BNP supporters sustained injuries after reportedly being beaten up by Awami League supporters at three separate polling centres in Natore.
At least 10 people were injured in a clash between two council candidates outside the Baragaon Government Primary School polling centre in Daudkandi municipality in Comilla.
Incidents of hand-made bomb blast took place at least eight polling centres in Bogra. Taposhi Rabeya High School presiding officer Azahar Ali said at least 40 to 50 cocktails blasted in his centre and miscreants put stamps at least 300 ballot papers.
Bomb went off in at least seven polling centres, including two in Chougacha municipality and five in Jessore Sadar municipality in Jessore district.
At least twelve people received minor injures when several hand-made bombs were allegedly exploded by ruling party supporters near seven polling centres when agents of opposition and rebel candidates tried to enter the centres.