The upazila parishad elections ended yesterday with the fifth phase of voting, although widespread rigging and sporadic violence once again stole the spotlight.
At least one person was killed in polls-centred violence, with clashes between Awami League and BNP activists; allegations of illegal stuffing; snatching of ballot boxes and papers; and boycotting by disgruntled candidates reported from a number of upazilas.
In Rajnagar upazila of Moulvibazar, another man fell into a canal and drowned after being chased by Border Guard Bangladesh personnel, who were trying to disperse a mob from a polling centre in the upazila.
However, observers said the phase had seen less violence than the fourth phase, in which at least seven people were killed in pre- and post-election violence.
Hours before voting began, ruling Awami League’s youth front Jubo League leader Kabir Hossain from Dighinala union in Lakshmipur Sadar Upazila was shot dead by miscreants.
Iqbal Hossain, OC of Sadar police station, said Kabir was shot dead around 3:30am yesterday when he, along with some others, were sticking posters of the Awami League-backed candidate AKM Salauddin Tipu. However, Tipu accused BNP men of killing Kabir while local BNP claimed the murder was a result of Awami League’s intra-party feud.
Election officials suspended voting in seven polling centres in different upazilas in Barguna and Narayanganj districts in the wake of clashes, allegations of vote rigging and ballot paper stuffing.
At least 55 candidates including 17 chairman aspirants boycotted voting in 13 upazilas including Ramganj of Lakshmipur; Sadar and Alamdanga upazilas of Chuwadanga; Kalapara of Patuakhali; Kolaroa, Debhata and Tala of Satkhira; Araihajara and Rupganj of Narayanganj; Ghatail of Tangail; Lauhajong of Munshiganj; Gafargaon of Mymensingh; Madarganj of Jamalpur; Amtoli, Patharghata and Bamna of Borguna; and Astogram of Kisherganj.
All of them – mostly affiliated with the BNP as either backed or rebel candidates – brought allegations of vote rigging against the supporters of the ruling party. Disgruntled boycotters called daylong hartal in Araihazar of Narayanganj and half-day hartals in Koshba of Brhamanbaria, Mymensingh Sadar and Alamdanga of Chuadanga for today.
Just like some of the previous phases, a number of Awami League rebel candidates have also pulled out of the elections alleging vote rigging by the supporters of the ruling party-backed contenders in their areas.
In immediate reaction to the fifth phase of the polling, BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said: “The frenzy to occupy polling centres began yesterday [Sunday] night.”
The press conference was arranged at the party’s Nayapaltan office yesterday, soon after voting began in 73 upazilas.
The ruling Awami League, on the other hand, claimed that the elections had been peaceful and hailed the Election Commission for taking all the necessary steps to avert violence.
Awami League Joint General Secretary Jahangir Kabir Nanak made the remark at a press conference at the party president’s Dhanmondi office in the afternoon.
However, Election Commissioner Abdul Mobarak claimed that there had been a stark drop in violence in the fifth phase compared to the last four phases.
In Ghatail upazila of Tangail, all candidates except the one backed by the ruling party withdrew from the polls right at the beginning of voting. Supporters of the BNP-backed candidate staged a demonstration on the Dhaka-Mymenshing highway protesting alleged rigging by the supporters of the ruling party. At least five people were injured when police fired rubber bullets and charged batons to disperse the agitators, witnesses said.
In Chhagalnaiya of Feni, supporters of the Awami League-backed candidate occupied more than 30 polling centers out of 47. Ahmed Ullah, presiding officer of one of the centres, said some young men equipped with firearms stamped 600 ballot papers in the last hour of voting. They also blasted crude bombs before leaving the place. Ahmed also said the ballot papers would be cancelled.
In Phulchari of Gaibandha, rebel Awami League candidate GM Selim Parvez was detained on charges of influencing voters by entering the polling stations. Executive Magistrate Sajebur Rahman said Parvez violated electoral code of conduct by campaigning inside the Kanchipara AMU Academy polling centre.
In Sundarganj upazila of the same district, some 50 ballot papers were allegedly snatched from the Chandipur School and College polling stations by miscreants. Assistant Presiding Officer of the polling station Abdus Samad was withdrawn following the incident.
A total of 73 upazilas voted yesterday to elect their upazila parishad panels – comprising chairman, vice-chairman and vice-chairwoman.
