A supporter of an independent aspirant from the Madaripur-3 constituency was stabbed and beaten to death in Kalkini upazila of Madaripur on Saturday, allegedly by the followers of the ruling Awami League candidate.
This is the second murder since the campaigns for the polls began on December 18. It also occurred amid continued breaches of the electoral code of conduct and sporadic violence over the January 7 general polls.
Eskandar Khan, 40, was a ward-level leader of the Awami League and a supporter of independent candidate Tahmina Siddique, who is vying with the “Eagle” symbol.
Meanwhile, Abdus Sobhan Golap, an influential leader of the ruling party, is in the polls fray with his party symbol: the Boat. He is already considered a heavyweight candidate in the constituency.
Quoting the victim’s family members and witnesses, Nazmul Hasan, officer-in-charge of Kalkini police station, said the supporters of Golap called Eskandar out of his house at the upazila’s Laximpur union in the morning.
“The attackers stabbed him indiscriminately. Eskandar was also hit with a hammer,” the OC said.
Critically injured, Eskandar was taken to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, where he breathed his last around 12:30 pm.
On Thursday, the supporters of Golap reportedly hurled hand bombs at a procession by Tahmina. At least 10 people were injured then, and a case was filed in this regard later in the day.
It is also alleged that Eskandar was targeted for joining the procession.
After the killing, a tense situation surfaced in the area. However, the police were deployed to avoid further unwanted incidents.
On December 19, a 52-year-old person died in a clash between two parties over setting up a temporary election camp in Mymensingh-4 Constituency.
Random clashes and chaos in districts
The campaign of Youtuber Ashraful Hossen Alom, popularly known as Hero Alom, who is in the polls fray as an independent candidate from the Bogra-4 seat, came under an attack in Nondigram upazila on Saturday evening. His mobile phone was snatched away.
He accused ruling party men of the attack.
Anisur Rahman, the general secretary of the upazila unit of the Awami League, rejected the allegation.
In another development, two groups of Juba League engaged in a clash in Bogra town on Saturday. Two Juba League men and a journalist were injured in the incident.
The election office and residence of Naogaon-4 independent candidate SM Brohani Sultan Mahmud Gama were attacked, allegedly by supporters of the ruling party's candidate for the constituency on Saturday.
Earlier, seven people were injured in a clash between supporters of Awami League candidate Muhibur Rahman Muhib and independent candidate and Awami League leader Mahbubur Rahman Talukder of Patuakhali-4 constituency at Bortakia village in Kolapara upazila on Friday evening.
In Patuakhali, at least 10 people were injured in alleged attacks during several election campaigns of independent candidate and upazila Awami League President Muntakim Ashraf Titu in Comilla-7 (Chandina) constituency on Friday.
A car was vandalized at that time.
Amirul Islam, president of Munsiganj’s Gajaria upazila unit of the Awami League and also the upazila parishad chairman, locked into an altercation with Munshiganj-3 MP Mrinal Kanti Das as they were campaigning in the upazila on Friday evening.
Several posters of Ahad Ali Sarkar, the independent candidate for the Natore-2 constituency, were torn in Naldanga upazila on Friday evening.
A roadside rally of independent candidate Muhammad Iqbal Hossain Sabuj in Gazipur-3 (Sreepur and Piruzali-Bhawalgarh-Mirzapur) constituency was attacked, allegedly by a group of Awami League men supporting the party’s candidate Rumana Ali Tusi on Friday evening.
Action over polls code breach
Abul Bashar Mohammed Fakhruzzaman, the returning officer and deputy commissioner of Chittagong, on Friday said that most of the candidates in the district were violating the electoral code of conduct.
Two candidates, including one endorsed by the Awami League for the Satkhira-4 sea, were served a show-cause notice each on Saturday for breaching the code of conduct.
AKM Bahauddin Bahar, the sitting lawmaker and Awami League candidate for the Comilla-6 seat, has been served a show-cause notice again. It is the third such notice he received so far.
This time around, he is accused of attacking two journalists and seizing their equipment on Wednesday.
Sirajganj-6 Awami League candidate Choyon Islam was served a show-cause notice on Friday for threatening the polling agents of independent candidate Halimul Haq Miru the previous day.
The Election Commission is set to take action against Sylhet-3 Jatiya Party candidate Atikur Rahman for organizing a feast in Dakshin Surma upazila on Thursday.
