Dhaka-17 constituency MP candidate, Ashraful Hossen Alom, popularly known as Hero Alom, was subjected to a physical assault in Dhaka's Banani area.
During his visit to the Banani Bidyaniketan School and College polling centre at 3:20pm, some unidentified people approached Hero Alom and obstructed him from entering the centre.
Subsequently, they proceeded to physically attack him, chasing and hitting him despite the presence of law enforcement personnel who intervened to protect him.
He was finally able to get away in a car around 3:30pm.
Reacting immediately after the attack, Hero Alom said: “I was visiting various polling centres throughout the day. Some people attacked me at this center after 3pm.”
Sharif Khurshid Alam, presiding officer of the centre, said: “I was inside the polling station when the incident took place. I did not see who attacked Hero Alom.”
While talking to the journalists, Returning Officer Monir Hossain Khan said: "Hero Alom has yet to file an official complaint. We will also conduct our own investigation and take action based on that."
He said the voting in Dhaka-17 by-polls was conducted peacefully except for the Hero Alom incident at the very end.
Hero Alom was admitted to Better Life Hospital in Rampura following the attack. He is undergoing treatment at the emergency department of the hospital.
Earlier in the day, Hero Alom alleged that several of his polling agents have been harassed at the Banani Model High School polling centre.
He said members of the law enforcement agencies did not let the polling agents stay at the centre as well.
However, Presiding Officer Mahbubul Alam, had denied the allegations and said no such incident of harassment took place there.
