At least 96 polling centres were set afire in different districts, including the capital, from Friday night to Saturday evening as anti-election activists continued their arson attacks on the eve of the 10th general election to be held on Sunday. Attacks on polling centres were reported from Bogra, Laxmipur, Pabna, Netrakona, Kishoreganj, Feni, Brahmanbaria, Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Manikganj, Kushtia, Natore, Dinajpur, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Moulvibazar, Jhenidah, Sherpur, Tangail, Kurigram, Naogaon, Sirajganj, Comilla, Gaibandha, Mymensingh, Khulna and Barguna districts. Of them, 11 polling stations were torched in Comilla while nine in Bogra, six in Manikganj, Rangpur and Gaibandha each, five in Rajshahi, four in Netrakona, Khulna and Barguna each, three each in Feni, Laxmipur, Jhenidah, Dinajpur, Sunamganj, Sherpur and Sirajganj, two in Kishoreganj, Brahmanbaria, Sylhet, Tangail and Mymensingh each, and one each in Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Natore, Kushtia, Moulvibazar, Naogaon and Kurigram districts. Meanwhile, a polling centre was torched in Dakkhinkhan in the capital in the early hours of Saturday. Besides, opposition activists snatched and set fire to election materials, including ballot papers and boxes, in Chittagong and Gaibandha. Police and election officials said the anti-election activists set alight the polling centres to create panic among the voters. In most of the cases, schools bore the brunt as the polling centres were set up in the educational institutions. School buildings and other valuables, including benches, doors, windows and educational materials, were gutted in the arson attacks. Earlier on Friday, seven other polling centres were set on fire in Comilla, Narsingdi and Feni districts. – UNB
