UP polls violence kills 2, injures 60

At least two people were killed and 60 others injured in violence over Union Parishad polls in the last two days.

Another man, who was wounded in a pre-poll violence last week in Tangail, died on Saturday.

With this death, over 45 people have been killed, including 21 on the three voting days of the UP elections. Several thousands were injured in election violence after the polls began.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission yesterday asked the presiding officers of 25 polling stations where voting was suspended for violence and irregularities during the third phase of polls on Saturday to file cases against the criminals.

The EC also ordered the authorities concerned to take departmental action against the two assistant presiding officers who helped criminals cast fake votes in a polling station in Comilla on Saturday.

The BNP yesterday sharply criticised Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad's remark that the third phase of UP elections was “fairer” than the previous ones, saying the EC was making a mockery.

The party would stay in the remaining phases of the UP polls, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed said at a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan central office.

Elections to 725 UPs were held on March 22 in the first phase, 639 UPs on March 31 in the second phase, and 614 UPs on April 23 in the third phase.

Polls to 743 UPs are slated for May 7 in the fourth phase and 733 UPs for May 28 in the fifth phase. Around 700 more UPs will go to the polls in the sixth phase in June this year.

In Faridpur, elder brother of an AL chairman aspirant in Baghat union in Modhukhali upazila was killed allegedly by supporters of rival BNP candidate on Saturday night.

Atiar Rahman Khan, 50, was the brother of AL candidate Matiar Rahman. The UP will go to the polls on May 7 in the fourth phase.

Police and witnesses said supporters of AL and BNP chairman candidates were locked in an altercation during an election campaign in Raijadpur village on Saturday evening.

Following the feud, the BNP men attacked the AL candidate's supporters at Baghat Bazar around 7:30pm. Hearing the news, Atiar along with others rushed to the spot to rescue the AL men.

At that moment, over 100 BNP people attacked them with sharp weapons, sticks and iron rods, injuring seven people, including Atiar, the victim's family alleged.

The injured were taken to Modhukhali Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared Atiar dead.

Ruhul Amin, officer-in-charge of Modhukhali police station, said BNP candidate Abdur Rahim and nine others were arrested in connection with the incident.

In Gazipur, the cousin of a defeated member candidate was allegedly killed on Saturday night.

Victim's family alleged that supporters of their rival candidate killed him, while police claimed that he died of cardiac arrest.

The dead, Abul Khasru, 52, was a cousin of Shamsul Hoque, a member aspirant in Mawna UP that went to the polls on April 23.

Around 20 people were wounded in a clash between the supporters of two defeated member aspirants in Bormi UP under Sreepur upazila yesterday.

In Tangail, a man, hacked by unidentified criminals following feud over polls on April 19 under Salimabad UP in Nagarpur upazila, died on Saturday.

The victim is Mohammad Nurul Huda, 47.

In Habiganj, around 40 people were hurt in a post-polls clash between two groups of people under Pakura UP in Baniachang upazila yesterday morning.

In Bogra, supporters of a member aspirant in a reserved seat for women vandalised the office of Dhunat upazila nirbahi officer, alleging that the presiding officer of a polling station manipulated election results.