Voting in 639 UCs ends amid violence; 6 dead
Dhaka: Voting in the election to 639 union councils of 82 upazilas concluded amid stray incidents of violence that left six people dead and at least 80 others injured in different parts of the country on Thursday.
The second phase union council election began at 8:00am and continued till 4:00pm without any break.
According to reports reaching the NTV Online news desk, those killed in the violence were identified as Rafiqul Islam,50, of Shyampur union of Melandah upazila in Jamalpur, Shuva, 10, son of Halim of Dhalikandi village in Keraniganj upazila, Dhaka and Golap Hossain of Chanchra union in Jessore. Other three people are Mohammad Sanaullah, Ibrahim Miah and Jamal Uddin of Bauria union at Swandip upazila in Chittagong.
In Chittagong, gun-toting and stick-wielding supporters of an independent candidate Zillur Rahman attacked Char Bauria Government Primary School at Swandip upazila around 4:10pm, Swandip upazila executive magistrate Obaidur Rahman said.
In Jamalpur, supporters of the two member candidates locked into a clash at Uttar Baluchar Government Primary School polling centre around 11:15 am at Shyampur union in Melandah upazila. Both the groups fought a pitched battle chasing each other. During the melee, a brick chip was hurled form one side that hit Rafiqul Islam,50, leaving him dead on the spot, witnesses said. Another person was also injured in the clash, they said. However, officer-in-charge of Melandah Police Station Nasimul Islam said Rafiqul died of heart attack while waiting in a long queue for casting vote.
In Keraniganj upazila, a minor boy, identified as Shuva, 10, son of Halim of Dhalikandi village, was killed as he received stray bullets during a gunfight at a polling centre in Madhurchar during the balloting. Quoting witnesses, officer-in-charge of Keraniganj Model Police Station Ferdous Hossain said a group of BNP supporters and another of Awami League locked into a clash over capturing Madhurchar Govt Primary School polling station at about 10:20am. But he could not provide further details of the incident.
In Jessore, a man was gunned down during a clash between the supporters of two chairman candidates at Chanchara union in Sadar upazila. Officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station Elias Hossain said the supporters of AL-nominated and AL-rebel candidates engaged in a clash at Bhaturia Government Primary School polling centre in Chanchra union at about 11:00am. Both the groups engaged in a chase and counter-chase and opened fire at each other, leaving Golap Hossain dead on the spot and two others injured. The injured people were admitted to Jessore 250-bed General Hospital.
Meanwhile, 17 chairman candidates boycotted the election in eight union councils in Sitakunda upazila of Chittagong, Gazipur union of Chandpur, Chowara and Boropara unions under Comilla South upazila, Urfa union parishad in Nakla upazila under Sherpur, six union parishads in Kushtia and Jadabpur union under Jhenidah district on charges of various irregularities. Fourteen of them belong to BNP, two to AL (rebel), while one is an independent candidate.
Voting at a polling centre in Nayanagar union of Melandah upazila under Jamalpur was suspended as miscreants tried to snatch ballot boxes before the start of the voting in the morning.
Meanwhile, five people were injured as a clash broke out during an attempt by the supporters of Jatiya Party and BNP-backed chairman candidates to resist an alleged bid of Awami League-backed candidate to capture a polling centre at Khoshbash union in Barura upazila.
BNP-backed chairman candidate Zakir Hossain and JP-backed chairman candidate Shah Alam were among the injured. Police also recovered five crude bombs from the spot and picked up five people from the scene for quizzing.
Police arrested an assistant presiding officer as he allegedly facilitated fake vote casting in favour of the Awami League-backed chairman candidate at Churamankathi in Jessore Sadar upazila in the morning.
Police also arrested an agent of the AL candidate, Babul Hossain.
In Munshiganj, one person suffered bullet wounds and five others were injured at Patavog UP in Sreenagar upazila of the district.
According to the statistics provided by the Election Commission on Wednesday, a total of 2,662 chairman contenders, including some 1493 from 17 political parties and 1,169 independent candidates are in the election races in the UCs.
Candidates from two major political parties— ruling Awami League and its archrival BNP— are frontrunners in the election. But BNP has no chairman candidate in 79 Ups, while AL has got candidates in all the 639 UCs.
As many as 31 chairman candidates, all from ruling Awami League, have already been elected unopposed as there was no rival against their respective posts in the 2nd phase of the UC polls.
Of the 31 chairman posts that won uncontested, 14 are in Gopalganj, six in Joypurhat, three in Jessore, two in each Dhaka and Madaripur, one each in Kishoreganj and Munshiganj, Sherpur and Sirajganj.