5 killed as UP polls ends amid violence [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

5 killed as UP polls ends amid violence

Local March 31, 2016

At least fivepeople were killed in election violence as voting in second phase of union parishad election ended at 639 unions across the country.
Two people were killed after an explosion in Jessore early Thursday while making bombs,another one died at Chanchra of Jessore,a child was killed as supporters of rival candidates clashed at Keraniganj in Dhaka and a man died in Melandaha of Jamalpur.
Nine-year-old boy MdShubhoKazi was killed and an elderly woman was injured as supporters of rival candidates clashed at Kalindi of Keraniganj in the morning, said Keraniganj police OC FerdousHasan. Locals said a group of Awami League men stormed the Madhurchar Government Primary School centre around 10:00am and started firing that left bullet-wounded Shubho dead on the spot.
Hours after the incident, the BNP-backed chairman candidate of number one Hazratput union, MdNurulHaqRipan, boycotted the polls bringing allegations of occupying vote centres by AL goons.
In Jamalpur, Rafiqul Islam, 50, was killed while another injured in a clash between supporters of two member candidates at Uttar Baluchar Government Primary School polling centre in Shyampur union of Melandaha around 11:15am, UNB reports.
However, Melandaha police officer-in-charge Nasimul Islam said Rafiqul died of cardiac arrest while waiting in a long queue for casting vote.
In Jessore, a man Abdus Sattar was killed and two others injured in a clash between supporters of AL-nominated and AL-rebel candidates at Chanchara union in sadarupazila around 11:00am.
Kotwali police officer-in-charge IliasHossain said both the groups locked in the clash at Bhaturia Government Primary School polling centre and opened fire on each other leaving Sattar dead on the spot.
Earlier in the night, Ebadul, 38, and Sabuj, 39, died at Jessore Medical College Hospital around 1:00am after being injured while making crude bombs at Andolpota in Lebutala. Three more people also sustained injuries, said Kotwali police officer-in-charge IliasHossain.
The balloting started from 8:00am Thursday and ended at 4:00pm without any break.
In Noakhali, the BNP-nominated chairman candidate of Char Elahi union in Companiganj, Abdul MominTota, boycotted the elections bringing allegations of different irregularities in the polls.
In Jamalpur, voting at a polling centre in Nayanagar union of Melandaha was suspended as miscreants tried to snatch ballot boxes before the start of the election on Thursday morning.
Around 30 minutes before the polling began at Mama-Bhagina Government Primary School centre, a group of armed miscreants entered there around 7:30am, said upazilanirbahi officer John Kennedy Jambil.
The hoodlums then took a number of ballot papers and started stamping those, the UNO added.
Later, the returning officer suspended voting at the polling centre, United News of Bangladesh reports.
The Tangail correspondent of New Age reported that another BNP-backed chairman candidate of Mirzapur union in Gopalpur boycotted the UP polls.
MustafizurRahmanJasim decided to step aside as the chairman candidate this morning at a press briefing alleging vote rigging at seven centres out of nine.
In Comilla, police arrested the son of AL-backed chairman candidate of Adra union in Barura and 13 others along with a pistol and two sacks of crude bombs at Parpaty Government Primary School centre around 10:30am.
Barura police officer-in-charge AslamShikder confirmed the news of arrest.
The arrestee, Rashedul Islam Russell, 30, was the son of UP chairman candidate Manjurul Islam.
In another incident, the followers of AL-supported chairman candidate NazmulHasan carried out attacks on ZakirHossain, a BNP-backed chairman candidate of Khoshbash union at Arifpur Government Primary School centre around 9:30am.Zakir’s cousin EnamulKarim said He was injured in the attack and was undergoing treatment at a private clinic.
In Chittagong, four BNP-blessed chairman candidates boycotted the election in four union parishads in Sitakunda on charges of various irregularities, UNB reports.
The four chairman aspirants — HelalUddin of Kumira, Dipendra Narayan Das of Sayedpur, Ohidul Islam Sharif of No 2 Bariardhal and SalauddinSohel of No 4 Muradpur unions — announced the election boycott hours into the start of the balloting.
In another incident, police arrested assistant presiding officer Sheikh Abdullah Bin Akbar as he allegedly facilitated casting fake votes for the Awami League-backed chairman candidate at Churamankati Government Primary School polling centre in Churamankathi union of Jessoresadar this morning, UNB reports.
The candidates pulled out of the race accusing the men of the ruling party of capturing all the polling stations in their respective union parishads, obstructing their supporters in casting votes, forcing their agents out of the centers and also casting fake votes.
According to the Election Commission, in the second phase of the staggered elections, 2,662 people are contesting for 639 positions of chairman, 21,259 for the positions of member and 6,498 for the member positions reserved for women.
It said that 1,12,12,334 people enrolled to cast their vote.
The commission said that 17 of the 40 registered political parties, including the ruling Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, are contesting the polls.
Although the parties have nominated only the chairman candidates officially, party candidates, mostly backed by AL and BNP, are also contesting for the positions of member and reserved member at almost all wards.