Violence, capture of polling stations, snatching ballot boxes and assaulting polling officer marked Thursday’s upazila polls in Gopalganj district.
Golam Kibria, who was attacked while working as a presiding officer at Suktail Govt Primary School under Sadar upazila, said: “No steps were taken against ballot paper snatching and attack on me.”
He also said he did not make any objections as high-ups did not allow him to do so. Gopalganj Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge Md Zakir Hossain said: “Two policemen were attacked at South Bangram.”
“Afterwards, additional policemen went to the place while the villagers attacked the policemen,” said the OC.
“The police lodged a case accusing ten villagers and 300 unnamed persons in connection with the incident,” he added.
Vice-chairman candidate and district Chhatra League President Abdul Hamid said his agents were ousted from eight polling centres.
Moreover, violence occurred during casting vote in 40 polling centres. It occurred under the leadership of UP Chairman Abid Ali, he said.
Returning Officer and Additional Deputy Commissioner Md Rafiqul Islam said: “No one has made any objection regarding Sadar upazila polls.”
“Police lodged a case with the Gopalganj police station in connection with the attack on police,” he added.
AL leader Sheikh Jahangir Hossain allegedly said the last five years’ tenure of Biswas was full of corruption.
“Biswas is trying to label activists of Mostofa as ‘BNP-Jamaat’ albeit both the chairman candidates are AL backed,” he made this comment in a press briefing held at the Mostofa’s election campaigning office at Gohordanga.
Earlier, activists of Gazi Golam Mostofa demonstrated against the arrest of Mostofa’s activist Moniruzzaman Talukder at Tungipara.
Accused chairman candidate Solaiman Biswas refuted the allegations and said: “The case was lodged accusing Mostofa’s supporter Moniruzzaman Talukder as he had assaulted my supporter Oboni Gyne.”
However, police arrested Talukder in connection with the case.