Chhatra Dal man killed, scores injured across country
Campaigning for the upcoming union parishad (UP) elections has reached its peak with stray incidents of violence across the country that left one person dead and scores injured yesterday.
In Pirojpur, a leader of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal was killed and another was injured as supporters of an Awami League candidate attacked him while he was returning home from conducting a campaign at Raghunathpur village, Nazirpur upazila early yesterday.
The deceased is Shamsul Haque Chhoto, joint convener of the Nazirpur upazila unit. He was also the nephew of the BNP-backed candidate for chairman of Sheikhmatia union Towhid Chairman.
Officer-in-charge of Nazirpur police station M Nasiruddin Mallik said Chhoto took part in an election campaign with his maternal uncle Towhid.
In the evening, he and his friend Jahangir, also a BNP leader, were returning home from Raghunathpur on a motorcycle.
On their way, a group of four to five unidentified miscreants intercepted them and took them to an adjacent field.
The miscreants hacked Chhoto and Jahangir with sharp weapons around 9pm, leaving the duo critically injured.
Later, the two were whisked off to Nazirpur Upazila Health Complex and later shifted to Khulna Medical College Hospital while Chhoto succumbed to his injuries on route around 12:30am.
Our Bogra correspondent reports: Some miscreants vandalised a BNP party office, and assaulted supporters of a BNP candidate at Bamna union parishad.
BNP-backed candidate Md Anayet Kabir told the Dhaka Tribune that supporters of Awami League candidate Chowdhury Kamaruzzaman Sogir picked up some of their supporters from an election campaign rally, assaulted them and vandalised the party office.
“If the situation continues, it will be tough for us to take part in the election,” he said.
Chowdhury Kamaruzzaman Sogir, however, said no one from his party had attacked BNP supporters.
Returning Officer CM Rezaul Karim said: “We have received complaints. Action will be taken according to the electoral law.”
Officer-in-Charge of Bamna police station told the Dhaka Tribune that they had already arrested one person in connection with the attack.
Our Barguna correspondent said over 100 people were injured in several clashes between supporters of Awami League and BNP candidates.
Of them, 60 people were injured in Charfashion and over 50 were injured at Digholdi and Ilisha union parishads.
Yanur Rahman Biplob Molla, an Awami-League-backed candidate, said miscreants blasted several bombs at his election office to create panic among activists.
Police recovered two short guns and a bomb-like object from the spot. Officer-in-Charge of Bhola Model police station told the Dhaka Tribune that they were looking into the matter.
In Sirajganj, a clash took place between supporters of an Awami League-backed candidate and a rival candidate, leaving 10 people injured. Of them, two with bullet wounds were undergoing treatment at Sirajganj Sadar Hospital.
Nasir Uddin Najir, an Awami League rival candidate, told the Dhaka Tribune that supporters of Awami League candidate Golam Sarowar Liton swooped on him and his supporters while they conducted an election campaign at Bhatharia Bazar in the afternoon. Following the attack, a clash took place between their supporters.
The phone of Golam Sarowar Liton was found switched off when this correspondent tried to get his comment about the incident.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Motaher Hossain said: “Supporters of both candidates violated the electoral code and conduct as they were holding rallies without taking permission from the district administration.”
To bring the situation under control, police shot several bullets, he added.