AL rivals clash for controlling vote rigging.

The activists of rival candidates from ruling Awami League clashed each others at several polling stations in three city corporation elections in the capital and Chittagong in a bid to rig votes and occupy centres. Awami League had at least 30 wards in the capital where rebel candidates were giving tough challenges to the party backed councillor candidates. Police and other law enforcement agencies remained inactive during such clashes, rather barred voters and oppositions polling agents from taking part, alleged voters. Clashes among the rivals had taken place at Kaful, Kabi Nazrul College in Old Dhaka, Hazaribagh, Suritola and some other parts in the capital. Awami League activists damaged police rifles, broke ballot boxes and polling booths when they attacked three polling stations at Uttar Kafrul High school at about 11am. The incident left 557 No polling station presiding officer Mazharul Islam badly injured. The clash between AL supported councilor candidates Mahmuda Begum and rebel candidate Motiur Rahman also caused suspension of voting for about two hours at all five polling stations. Voters said that supporters of Mahmuda Begum attacked those of Motiur Rahman at about 11am alleging that Motiur’s men were rigging the election. Both the parties were locked in clash as they vandalized at least 10 ballot boxes of polling booth Nos 557 and 558. In Old Dhaka, at least 12 people including a senior staff photojournalist of New Age, Indrajit Ghosh, were injured in a clash between the ruling party rival candidates in front of Kabi Nazrul Government College polling centre in the morning.

The polling in the centres (648 and 649) of the college were suspended for around two hours and resumed at around 2pm. Presiding officer of the centre number 649, Kazi Md Sanaullah, said a group of people created chaos there and stuffed ballot papers. ‘We had to stop vote casting for the lack of security,’ he said. The followers of rebel candidate, Haji Mohammad Selim, and Awami League sponsored candidate, Yar Mohammad Yaru, engaged in a clash. Meanwhile, polling was suspended in all six booths at Pogose School center in old part of Dhaka South City and at least 15 people were injured as agents and activists of rivals clashed over trying to forcibly cast votes. Associates of the ruling party backed Abdur Rahman Majhi and rebel Sahabudddin Jhony clashed with each other around 9am while trying to take control of the polling station for rigging, reported New Age correspondent preset there. Presiding Officer Moksed Ali has decided to stop casting of votes in such situation. Activists of Awami League backed and its rebel candidates vandalised ballot boxes and shredded ballot papers at Suritola Primary School center of Dhaka South City Corporation elections at around 9am, one hour after the polls began.

They also attacked and vandalised the ballot boxes after finding that many of their votes had already been cast by others. Presiding officer suspended polling at all booths in the centre and law enforcers were trying to control the situation as the voters were demonstrating outside the centre. Voting was suspended at Women’s High School for hours as activists of Awami League rivals Masud Hasan Shamim and Golam Mostafa locked in clashes for occupying polling station and rigging, said locals. Clashes between Awami League and its rebel candidates also took place at Mirpur National School polling center, Hazaribagh, Adabar and elsewhere in the capital. New Age correspondent in Chittagong reported Awami League candidate Ershad Mamun’s and rebel candidate Jashimuddin’s men engaged in clashes with each other leaving several injured around 10am at Hazi Daud Government Primary School. Awami League and its rebel candidates also locked in clashes at Chawkbazar, Pahartoli, Uttar Agrabad, Dakshin Kalisahar and elsewhere of the port city. When approached, Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia denied that there were any incidents of election irregularities and occupying of polling stations.

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