4 killed as violence, rigging mark UP polls

At least four people were killed and scores were injured as violence, rigging, ballot stuffing and intimidation, mostly carried out by ruling Awami League activists, marked the fourth phase of partisan elections to union parishads on Saturday like the previous phases.
Many polling centres were allegedly captured by AL activists who stuffed the ballot boxes or forced voters to cast their vote for AL candidates, witnesses said.
Similar pictures were seen during past three phases of the first ever partisan elections to the lowest tier of local government institutions held on March 22 and 31 and April 23.
Three AL were killed in Narsingdi and Comilla as supporters of AL-nominated candidates and AL rebels clashed while a higher secondary certificate examinee was shot dead as police fired bullets to disperse supporters of two member candidates in Thakurgaon who were clashing.
Chief election commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed, however, dismissed allegations that the Election Commission was indifferent to ballot stuffing, violence and intimidation. ‘We had directed law enforcing agencies to take necessary action to maintain law and order,’ he said.
Reports from districts said that supporters of AL candidates, AL rebels and Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidates clashed throughout the day in Comilla, Narsingdi, Thakurgaon, Feni, Lakshmipur, Gazipur, Rangpur and others places, as local administrations, in most cases, reportedly showed indifference to violence and irregularities at many of the 703 unions that went to the polls.
Voters at many unions in Jamalpur and Feni alleged that AL activists barred them from casting vote for chairman posts. They asked voters to cast their vote for member and women member candidates only.
Polls at 51 polling centres were suspended because of irregularities and clashes, said the chief election commissioner.
At least 20 chairman candidates including 16 from BNP boycotted the polls halfway through alleging widespread irregularities, including ballot-box stuffing and capture of the centres by AL activists.
AL activists captured many polling stations as the polling began at 8:00am without presence of polling agents of BNP candidates at many polling stations.
The Awami League claimed that the polling was held in a festive mood, but BNP complained about large-scale rigging.
‘The Election Commission has killed the electoral system in the country and completely failed to discharge serve their duties and turned into a shameless peculiar animal,’ alleged BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a press conference at the party headquarters.
‘Stuffing of the ballot box, snatching of ballot papers and boxes and proxy votes took place at almost all polling centres like the previous phases of the union council polls,’ he alleged.
Election commissioner Abu Hafiz claimed that the polling in the third phase was relatively fair compared to the earlier three phases.
AL joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif claimed that the elections were free and fair.
In Narsingdi, AL rebel’s supporter Sumon Mia, 26, was hacked to death and five others were injured as supporters of AL-nominated chairman candidate Reaz Morshed Khan Russell and AL rebel Azan Chowdhury for Srinagar union parishad of Raipur upazila clashed at Rangpur village.
Reaz’s supporters stormed into Rangpur Government Primary School centre at about 9:00am and tried to stuff ballot boxes while locals resisted them, said Raipur police station officer-in-charge Azharul Islam.
At one stage, Reaz’s supporters hacked Sumon indiscriminately and he was rushed to the upazila health complex where physician declared him dead, he said.
Local people said Sumon was nephew of Azan Chowdhury.
Another AL activist, Hossain Ali, was killed as supporters of AL candidate Masudur Rahman and AL rebel Jakir Hossain clashed near a polling station at Madhya Nagar village of Paratali union of Raipur upazila.
Hoasain was hit with a spear and died on the way to hospital, Narsingdi additional superintendent of police Zakir Hossain said.
In Thakurgaon, HSC examinee Mahbub Alam was killed as police fired bullet to stop clashes between supporters of two member candidates at Saldanga Madrassah centre under Paria union of Baliadangi upazila.
Presiding officer Mujibur Rahman said police opened fire when supporters of two member candidates clashed over attempt to capture the polling stations and Mahbub died on the spot falling in the line of firing.
Two other siblings of Mahbub also received bullet wounds, he said.
In Comilla, Taposh Chandra Das, 38, was stabbed to death and five others were injured as supporters of two member candidates, both activists of ruling AL, clashed at Chandla union of Brahmanpara upazila in Comilla.
Brahmanpara police station officer-in-charge Badiuzzaman said that supporters of two member candidates – Sultan Ahmed and Rezaul Karim – for Chandla union clashed in front of Chandla Primary School centre at about 11:00 am.
During the clash, supporters of Rezaul stabbed Taposh of Chandla village to death, Badiuzzaman said.
The injured five were rushed to Brahmanpara Upazila Health Complex.
A member candidate, Abdul Matin, died after he fell sick while standing in the queue for casting vote arrest’ during polls at Haripur Primary School centre under Nazirpur union in Kamladanga upazila in Netrokona in the morning.
Kamladanga police officer-in-charge Mahbub Alam said Matin died of cardic arrest.
Border Guard Bangladesh soldier Mahmudul Hasan, who was on election duty, died in an ‘accidental fire’ from his own rifle at Madarganj upazila auditorium in Jamalpur.
Border guard spokesperson Mohsin Reza said Mahmudul died in an ‘accidental fire’, but Madarganj police officer-in-charge Ram Pada Mandal claimed that he committed ‘suicide’ by pulling his rifle at the chin.
In Feni, Phulgazi police sub-inspector Yeasin Miah was injured in bullets when a group of miscreants shot at him during their bid to capture Alipur Government Primary School polling centre at Dhania union of Sadar upazila, said sadar police officer-in-charge Mahbub Morshed.
Four people were shot at in a clash between the supporters of two member candidates over attempts to capture Sonapur Government Primary School polling centre of Shuvopur union at Chhagalnaiya upazila in Feni, additional superintendent of police Shamsul Alam Sarker.
In Noakhali, assistant presiding officers Babul Chandra Acharya and Mehedi Hasan were injured in bomb blasts at Debipur Primary School centre of Nadona union at Sonaimuri upazila, said presiding officer AKM Sirajuddin.
Some miscreants blasted several bombs at the centre to capture it, he said.
In Munshiganj, police assistant sub-inspector Rajib was beaten by AL activists at Milkipara polling centre of Rampal union at sadar upazila as he tried to resist a bid to cast proxy votes.
Munshiganj superintendent of police Biplab Bijoy Talukder said AL supporter Md Saddam was jailed for three months by a mobile court after police caught him for beating the cop.
In Madaripur, five people including police sub-inspector Amir Hossain were injured while thwarting a bid to capture polling centre by the AL supporters at Kayaria Primary School of Kayaria union at Kalkini upazila.
Police arrested Chittagong city unit Chhatra League general secretary Nurul Azim Rony and eight others with a pistol and 15 bullets at Chariaboard Government Primary School polling centre of Mirzapur union under Hathazari upazila while they were trying to capture the centre, said Chittagong additional superintendent of police (north) Mostafizur Rahman.
In Rangpur, police arrested independent chairman candidate Harun or Rashid, also a BNP activist, at Saltigopalpur Sardarpara Government Primary School centre of Gopalpur union at Mithapukur upazilla.
Mitahpukur police officer-in-charge Humayun Kabir said Harun was accused in several cases including petrol bomb blast on passenger bus on January 14, 2015 at Batason Mithapukur that killed six people.
At many places, polling officials allegedly lend their support to AL activists in ballot stuffing.
According to New Age correspondents, law enforcers and mobile courts detained at least five presiding officers and seven assistant presiding officers for their alleged involvement in irregularities and negligence in their duties.
Comilla district election officer Rashedul Islam said that Jugirhat Government Primary School centre presiding officer Mobarak Hossain along with five others were arrested for ballot stuffing for AL candidate Mahfuz Alam for Munshirhat union under Chauddagram upazila.
Rashedul said they found that about 1,000 ballots were stuffed at night before the polling and suspended the polling at the centre.
Nazrul Islam High School centre presiding officer Anisuzzaman and Acchakandi High School centre presiding officer Akramuzzaman of Sadhurpara union under Bakshiganj upazila in Jamalpur were arrested for entering their polling centres with already stamped ballots, said Bakshiganj upazila nirbahi officer Subrata Pal.
A mobile court on Friday night jailed of Loykha Government Primary School centre presiding officer Abdul Barik of Hatibandha union at Jhenaigati upazila in Sherpur for seven days as he was caught red handed while taking Tk 10,000 in bribe from member candidate Saiful Islam.
District election officer Mokhlesur Rahman said that Saiful was jailed for one month.
Polling at Khalpara Primary School centre of Ramdi union under Kuliarchar upazila in Kishoreganj was suspended as supporters of AL candidate Alal Uddin snatched about 500 ballot papers, said witnesses.
They said that a clash ensued when locals tried to resist the snatchers that left several injured. Presiding officer Bari Siddque said that they suspended polling as they failed to recover the snatched ballot papers.
Polling at the Chaichhuti Kolakopa Government Primary School centre of the same union was also suspended as miscreants snatched over 500 ballot papers, said presiding officer Kabir Hossain.
Police arrested six poling agents of AL candidate while stuffing ballot boxes at Keroa Mansura Girls High School centre of Keroa union under Raipur upazila in Lakshmipur, said presiding officer Manjur Hossain.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net