A man died from bullet injuries yesterday after he was shot during a clash between the supporters of two Awami League candidates in the elections to Dhalarchar union parishad in Pabna’s Bera upazila.
Gaher Mondol, 30, son of Pashan Mondol of the union’s Khayerbagan village, was shot at Mirpur village on Saturday night. He was a supporter of Awami League rebel candidate Nasir Uddin.
Md Siddiqur Rahman, additional superintendent of police (special branch) in Pabna, said another 10 people were injured in the clash.
Locals said Nasir and Awami League-backed candidate Korban Ali Sarder had recently been in conflict ahead of the elections.
On Saturday night, supporters of Nasir and Korban had an altercation when they campaigned at Mirpur village and the verbal disagreement led to a clash.
Both parties fired shots at each other, and Gaher sustained injuries when bullets were exchanged. He died on the scene.
The injured were first admitted to Bera Upazila Health Complex before they were taken to Pabna General Hospital as their condition deteriorated.
Zakir Hossain, assistant superintendent of police (Bera circle), said why the clash broke out could not be known immediately. Panic gripped the area after the incident as locals feared further unrest.
Bogra correspondent adds: The election office and a shop of a BNP chairman candidate were vandalised at Jorgachha Bazar in Bhelabari union of Bogra’s Sariakandi on Saturday night.
Lutful Haider Rumi claimed that the supporters of Awami League chairman contestant Rubel Uddin were responsible for the vandalism.
Witnesses said President of Awami League’s Sariakandi upazila unit Shahadara Mannan campaigned for Rubel at Bhelabari on Saturday evening.
They said Rubel’s supporters vandalised the election office and a shop of Rumi around 10:30pm, after Mannan left. Another two nearby shops were also vandalised.
The upazila nirbahi officer, Md Moniruzzaman, said the attackers fled when police arrived on the scene.
Meanwhile, Chaluabari’s BNP-backd chairman candidate Mostafizur Rahman and independent candidate Shawkat Ali said the henchmen of Awami League-backed candidate Tazul Islam Badshah, who is also the incumbent chairman, had intimidated them, disrupting their campaigns. But Tazul denied the allegation.
