In yet another instance of violence centring around the municipal elections in Bangladesh, supporters of two councillor candidates of Ward-1 of Bhola municipality became embroiled in multiple clashes on Wednesday, leaving six people injured.
The clashes took place in Bhadrar Pole and Stadium Road areas in the city.
Abinash Nandi, one of the councillor candidates, called a press conference after the incidents and claimed that the followers of his rival candidate Manjurul Islam had attacked and severely injured him and his followers in the morning.
He also said he was preparing to file a case in this connection.
Denying the allegations, Manjurul Islam shifted the blame on to Abinash Nandi and said he [Manjurul] and his followers were the ones who were attacked.
Elections to Bhola municipality will be held in the fifth phase of the municipality polls on February 28.
Mayoral candidate’s office set on fire
Meanwhile, in Jhalakathi, miscreants vandalized and set fire to the office of the Awami League mayoral candidate Abdul Wahed Khan in the district’s Nalchity municipal area early on Wednesday.
Office chairs and tables, banners and countless posters were burnt in the incident.
Photo shows the vandalized office of mayoral candidate Abdul Wahed Khan in Jhalakathi on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 Dhaka TribunePolice and leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliates visited the spot on Wednesday morning after receiving information about the arson.
According to locals, after setting fire to the office, the miscreants hurled insults at mayoral candidate Wahed and, chanting slogans, left the place.
Later, people of the area saw smoke and rushed to the site to douse the fire.
Demanding punishment for the culprits, Wahed said: “Support for the boat [the Awami League’s electoral symbol] is high in this area. People belonging to the opposition used the incident to create panic among voters.”
Nalchity police station Officer-in-Charge Ali Mohammad said police would take legal action if the aggrieved party filed a complaint regarding the incident.
Elections to Nalchity municipality will be held in the third phase of the municipality polls on January 30.
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With several deaths and countless injuries, violence has marred the municipality elections across the country.
On January 18, Awami League leader Afsar Sikder was killed in an attack by supporters of an opposition councillor candidate and upazila vice chairman of Mehendiganj in Barisal.
On January 16, BNP-backed councillor-elect Tariqul Islam was killed in Sirajganj in a clash which broke out soon after he was declared the unofficial winner.
Meanwhile, on January 14, Alamgir Hossain Babu, a councillor candidate in Jhenaidah, was found dead five hours after a clash between his supporters and a rival candidate left another dead in the district’s Shailkupa upazila.
