MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS : BNP leaders Altaf, Zainul come under attack

Two senior leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party came under attacks in Patuakhali and Comilla by ruling Awami League activists on Tuesday while they were conducting electioneering for BNP mayoral candidates for the December 30 municipal polls.
The attackers also vandalised several vehicles and injured at least 15 BNP leaders and activists.
AL activists attacked former home minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury’s motorcade at Kalapara in Patuakhali injuring seven people including his wife Suraiya Akter Chowdhury and former chief whip Zainul Abdin Farroque’s procession at Chandina in Comilla.
Altaf’s motorcade came under attack by AL activists during electioneering at Rahmatpur of Kalapara, according to United News of Bangladesh.
The attackers hurled brickbats and stones at his motorcade as he was going to Rahmatpur to conduct a mass contact for BNP mayoral candidate Humayun Shikder at about 10:00am.
Seven people, including Begum Suraiya Akter Chowdhury and two journalists of Boishakhi and Jamuna television channels, were injured in the attack. The attackers vandalised six microbuses of the motorcade.
Police rushed in and dispersed the attackers.
Kalapara police station officer-in-charge (investigation) Monir Hossain confirmed the incident.
In Comilla, local BNP alleged that AL activists attacked election procession led by Zainul Abdin Farroque at Tulatuli of Chandina municipality.
Zainul alleged that local Chhatra League activists suddenly attached them while they were conducting electioneering in favour of BNP mayoral candidate Shah Md Alamgir.
A local journalist was also injured in the attack.
New Age Correspondent in Jamalpur reported that BNP mayoral candidate for Jamalpur municipality Shah Md Wares Ali Mamun and two of his supporters were injured in an attack by activists of Awami League candidate Mirza Shakhawatul Alam Moni.
Witnesses said that a group of AL activists on about 15 motorbikes swooped on the supporters of the BNP candidate while they were seeking votes in Harijan Palli intersection of Bosakpara area on Tuesday afternoon.
In Shariatpur, all five BNP mayoral candidates of five municipalities in Shariatpur on Tuesday logged complaint with the Election Commission stating that AL activists were threatening the voters and BNP supporters not go to polling centres on the polling day.
In the complaints, the mayoral candidates – AKM Nasir Uddin for Shariatpur municipality, BM Mustafiz for Bahadurganj, Shikder M Iqbal for Jazira, Rezaur Rahman for Naria and Alamgir Hossain for Damudya – they said that cast of the votes would be completed by 10:00am on December 30 and no BNP activists would be seen in the locality after December 25.
On Monday, at least five incidents of violence were reported from different areas, including Comilla, Savar and Natore. Most of the attacks were led allegedly by AL activists.

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