5TH PHASE UP POLLS: 10 killed in clashes

At least 10 people were killed and scores were injured as violence intensified in the fifth phase of the elections to union parishads across the country that was also marred by widespread rigging, intimidation, mostly carried out by ruling Awami League activists.
Many polling centres were allegedly captured by AL activists who reportedly stuffed the ballot boxes or forced voters to cast their vote for AL candidates as they had done in the previous four phases of the first ever partisan elections to union councils, witnesses said.
Earlier, electoral violence on the poling day killed 10 people in the first phase, nine in the second phase, one in the third phase and two in the fourth phase of the staggered elections to the lowest tier of the local government institutions.
Chief election commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, however, claimed that the fifth phase polls seemed to have been ‘better’ and the scale of violence was also ‘lesser’ compare to the previous phases.
Polls at 53 polling centres were suspended because of irregularities and clashes, the chief election commissioner said.
Four people including a schoolboy were killed in tripartite clash between supporters of AL candidate, AL rebel and police in Jamalpur, three including a member candidate was killed in clashes in port city Chittagong, an elderly man died getting caught in a clash between supporters of two member candidates while another teenager was killed in a clash in Noakhali and a Bangladesh Nationalist Party rebel chairman candidate was killed in clash with rivals in Comilla.
New Age correspondents in districts reported that supporters of AL candidates, AL rebels and BNP candidates clashed throughout the day in Chittagong, Noakhali, Comilla, Lakshmipur,
Brahmanbarhia, Jamalpur, Narsingdi, Barisal and others places, as local administrations, in most cases, reportedly showed indifference to violence and irregularities at many of the 717 unions that went to the polls.
Voters at many unions in Chittagong and Noakhali alleged that AL activists barred them from casting their vote for chairman positions. They asked voters to cast their vote for member and reserved women member candidates only.
At least 16 chairman candidates including 15 from BNP boycotted the polls halfway through alleging widespread irregularities, rigging and capture of the polling 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 centres.
BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan after a meeting with the chief elections commissioner said that the polls were marred by ‘booth capture, proxy voting and malpractices.’ He said, ‘This is a farce in the name of election.’
He alleged that the Election Commission was ‘very well aware’ of the situation, but took no corrective measures. ‘The local administrations are helping the ruling party and the EC is also helping the ruling party,’ he added.
AL joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said that the elections were free and fair and BNP raised allegations to make the election questionable.
In Jamalpur, four people – Ziaur Rahman, 35, and Nabirul Islam of Kutuber Char village, Class VIII student Mazed, 15, son of Afzal Sheikh, and Nurul Islam, 55, of Sheikhpara village ­– were killed and more than 30 others were injured in a tripartite clash at a polling centre at Bahadurabad union of Dewanganj upazila.
Jamalpur additional superintendent of police Rafiqul Islam, however, claimed that three people including a teenager were killed in the clash but failed to give the reason. He said that they were unaware about death of Nabirul Islam.
The supporters of AL chairman candidate Sakiruzzaman and AL rebel Shajahan Ali clashed at Khutir Char Ibtedayi Madrassah centre at about 10:00am. BNP men lend support to the AL rebel during the chaos. Police fired at least 100 blank shots to disperse the rioters.
Mazed’s uncle Kalam Miah said the schoolboy went to the polling centre to see the voting and he was killed in shooting.
Mazed died on the spot while the three others died on the way to the upazila health complex, local people said.
In Chittagong, three separate clashes left three people killed at Bara Uthan and Ashia unions under the Patiya upazila.
A member candidate, Mohammad Yasin, was stabbed to death during a clash between supporters of two member candidates at Shah Mirpur Government Primary School polling centre of Bara Uthan union.
Patiya police station officer-in-charge Rafiqul Islam said that Yasin died at Chittagong Medical College Hospital after sustaining injuries in a clash between two groups of people.
Chittagong Medical College Hospital police outpost assistant sub-inspector Pankaj Barua said that Mohammad Hussain died at the hospital in the evening after sustaining injuries in a clash between the supporters of two candidates in the Fakirnir Hat area of the same union.
At Ashia union, Babul Shil, 50, was killed in a clash between the
supporters of rival member candidates. Patiya upazila nirbahi officer Abul Hashem, however, said that Babul died from cardiac arrest when two groups of people were engaged in gunfight.
Chittagong additional superintendent of police Abdul Awal confirmed the death of three people at Patiya upazila in electoral violence on the day but refused to give the details.
In Noakhali, Syed Ahmed, 65, died after being chased by law enforcers at Rajganj Senior Dakhil Madrassah polling centre of Rajganj union at Begumganj upazila.
Syed Ahmed, suffered head injuries as he fell down on the ground crashing into a wall being chased by law enforcers at about 10:30am. Local people said that Rapid Action Battalion personnel and police men charged batons at the centre to disperse people who crowded the polling centre.
Clash between the supporters of two member candidates at KB Union High School centre of the same union left 16-year-old Shakil killed.
Syed Ahmed and Shakil sustain injuries in separate incidents and died on the way to hospitals, said Begumganj police station officer-in-charge Sajedur Rahman.
He however failed to give the details about Shakil.
In Comilla, BNP rebel candidate for Balarampur union under Titas upazila Mohammad Kamaluddin was killed when his supporters clashed with supporters of BNP candidate Tofayel Ahmed Bhuiyan.
Local people said that supporters of Kamaluddin and Tofayel clashed at Nageshwar at about 3:30pm and Kamaluddin was killed by a harpoon thrown by a supporter of his opponent.
Titas police station officer-in-charge Monirul Islam said that Kamaluddin died on way to upazila health complex.
In Chittagong, executive magistrate Mahbub Alam arrested AL candidate for Char Patharghata union under Patiya upazila Saber Ahmed with six hundred ballot papers and a rubberstamp at Icchanagar Government Primary School polling centre.
Mahbub Alam said that Saber Ahmed was sent into police custody and he would face legal action.
At least 10 people including a policeman were injured at Char Swarashwati Government Primary School centre of Titas upazila in Comilla as supporters of AL-nominated chairman candidate Habibur Rahman and AL rebel Md Ibrahim Sarkar clashed at about 9:30am.
Both the groups blasted about eight crude bombs while police fired blank shots to bring the situation under control, said Titas police station duty officer Ismail Hossain.
In another incident, miscreants snatched 700 ballot papers 20-25 minutes before the polling began at Kalaraita Government Primary School centre of Kesharpar union at Senbagh upazila in Noakhali.
The district election officer, Monir Hossain, also the returning officer, suspended polls after the incident.
The miscreants returned to the centre with stamped ballots and tried to stuff the ballot boxes, but left the polling centre leaving the ballots as police chased them, the returning officer said.
A mobile court led by executive magistrate Saiful Islam, also Belkuchi upazila nirbahi officer, sentenced assistant presiding Forhad Hossain to imprisonment for six months for stuffing the ballot for a member candidate while on duty at Afania Government Primary School centre of Shubhagachha union at Kazipur upazila in Sirajganj.
Sub-inspector Sohel Rana of Khulna Metropolitan Police and constable Mohsin Ali were injured as miscreants carried out an attack on Nukali Government Primary School centre of Potajia union of Shahzadpur upazila in Sirajganj at about 11:15am. Police fired several blank shots to bring the situation under control.
Police also arrested two people — Azizal Haq, 38, and Sabuj, 35, of village Nukali — on charge of vote rigging. They also seized 10-12 ballot papers from them.
The voting at the centre resumed 30 minutes after suspension.
In Jhenaidah, series of clash between AL candidate Mokter Ahmed Mridha and AL rebel candidate Helal Uddin Biswas at Abhaypur union of Sailkupa upazila left at least 30 people injured at Hatfazilpur Bazar and Mingram of Sailkupa upazila, said Sailkupa police station officer-in-charge Mahibul Islam.
A mobile court led by Harinakunda upazila nirbahi officer Monira Parvin arrested Sanjel Ali, 47, and jailed him for 10 days when he tried to bar election officials from entering Chandpur union.
In Bogra, Shah Alam Sagor, 20, was jailed for two months on charge of entering Sakohali Primary School polling centre at sadar union of Kahalu upazila with a knife, said mobile court magistrate Shafiul Alam.
The official car of Kahalu municipal mayor Helal Uddin Kabiraj, also the upazila AL president, was seized for violating electoral code of conduct, the magistrate said.
In Munshiganj, several clashes and bomb blasts occurred at different polling stations at Mollakandi union under sadar upazila after AL candidate Ripon Patwary boycotted the election accusing the administration of being biased towards AL rebel candidate Mohsina Haque.
At Gazaria upazila in Munshiganj, polls were suspended after two people were injured in a clash over snatching ballot papers at Bhitikandi Primary School centre, said presiding officer Abdul Alim.
In Jessore, two men – Abdul Hamid and Faruk Hossain – were jailed for one year by a mobile court led by senior judicial magistrate Shahjahan Ali for snatching ballot papers and compelling voters to vote for AL candidate at Ziadanga Government Primary School polling station of Prembagh union under Abhaynagar upazila, said Jessore district election officer Tareq Ahmed.
In Lakshmipur, two people were injured in police firing as an incident of ballot snatching took place at Yusufpur Government Primary School centre at sadar upazila.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net