Dhaka – Voting in the 4th phase election to 703 union parishads in 87 upazilas of the country’s 46 districts concluded amid stray incidents of violence that left two people dead and over 100 others injured in different parts of the country on Saturday, unb news agency reported
The balloting began at 8am and continued till 4 pm without any break.
Taposh Chandra Das, 38, son of Kanu Chandra Das of Chandla village, was stabbed to death and five others were injured in a clash between the supporters of two member candidates at Chandla Bazar in Brahmanpara upazila of Comilla during the election.The clash took place following an altercation between the supporters of two member candidates — Sultan Ahmed and Rezaul Karim — of Chandla union parishad in front of Chandla Primary School polling centre around 11 am.
In Thakungoan, Azizul Islam, 30, son of Nazrul Islam of Machkhuria village of the upazila, was killed and seven others were injured in police firing in a polling centre in Paria union of Baliadangi upazila in the afternoon.
Upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Abdul Mannan said the clash broke out between the supporters of two member candidates over snatching ballot papers around 1:30 pm at Kaldanga Dakhil Madrasah polling centre.
The unruly supporters also assaulted presiding officer Mujibur Rahman which prompted police to open fire, leaving Azizul dead on the spot, he said.
According to reports reaching the UNB news desk, over 100 people were also injured in Laxmipur, Chandpur, Gazipur, Munshuganj, Feni and Narsingdi districts during the election.
At least 50 people were injured in separate clashes during the elections to eight unions in Sadar and Raipur upazilas of Laxmipur while 30 people in Matlab (south) and Shaharasti upazilas of
Chandpur, seven in Kaliakoir upazila of Gazipur, five, including a cop, in Chhagolnaiya and Sadar upazila of Feni, five in Tongibari upazila in Munshiganj and another in Raipura upazila in Narsingdi.
Besides, nine BNP-backed chairman candidates boycotted the union parishad election race in Pabna, Natore, Brahmanbaria, Feni, Narsingdi and Manikganj districts on Saturday on various allegations.
Three BNP chairman candidates boycotted the polls in Tatibandha, Sagorkandi and Raninagar unions of Sujanagar upazila of Pabna while one in Natore, Brahmanbaria, Feni and Manikganj each and two in Narsingdi alleging vote rigging and irregularities and obstructing
their supporters in casting votes, forcing his agents out of the centre and also casting fake votes.
Besides, voting in four centres in Munshirhat union of Chouddagram upazila and Joag union of Chandina upazila of Comilla and Kuliarchar upazila of Kishoreganj and Naogaon union of Phulbaria upazila of Mymensingh were suspended on allegation of stamping ballot papers
forcibly during the election.
In Chittagong, police arrested nine people, including Nurul Azim Rony, 26, general secretary of city unit BCL along with a pistol, from a poling centre in Hathazari upazila during the election.
Police also recovered a 9mm pistol, 15 rounds of bullet and a magazine after searching the body of the BCL leader.
Meanwhile, the separate mobile courts sentenced six people, including presiding officer, to different terms of jail in Sherpur and Munshiganj for vote rigging.
