Poll violence across country: 30 injured, election camps torched
Staff Reporter :
At least 30 people were injured and many election camps torched and vandalized across the country on Wednesday centering the upcoming general Election 2024.
In Gazipur, a group of unidentified miscreants set on fire an election camp of Gazipur-3 Awami League candidate Prof Rumana Ali Tusi in Sreepur’s Narayanpur Bazar on early Wednesday.
On this issue, a local shopkeeper Manik Sarkar, said; I was awoken by the smell of burning plastic at around 3am.
“At first, I suspected a fire might have started from a coil under my bed in my shop.
But afterwards, I realized the election camp was on fire. With locals’ help, we put out the fire, but five chairs and two tables were burned.”
Gazipur Swechchhasebak League General Secretary Nasir Uddin George, one of the persons in charge of Rumana Ali’s election campaign, said: “Activists of the truck symbol candidate (Iqbal Hossain Sabuj), the incumbent MP), might have caused the incident at night to spread confusion among the Awami League’s leaders, supporters and voters.”
Sreepur police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shah Zaman confirmed the matter to the media saying that no formal complaint has been filed regarding the incident. However, the police visited the spot on Wednesday morning.”
Sreepur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shamima Yasmin said: “We visited the site upon hearing the news of the fire at the election camp.
Sreepur police have been instructed to investigate the matter, and the upazila administration is also looking into it, UNO added.
In Rajshahi, at least seven supporters of an independent candidate in Rajshahi-4 constituency were injured in separate attacks allegedly by
supporters of the “boat” symbol at Bagmara upazila in Rajshahi district on Tuesday.
The injured were taken to Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital. On information, independent candidate Enamul Haque visited the hospital and inquired about the health condition of the injured.
Bagmara Police Station officer-in-charge Arbind Sarkar said “No complaint has been lodged yet and those who were involved in the attacks, won’t be spared, whoever they are.”
In Faridpur, police in a drive arrested Tofazzal Hossain Samrat from Faridpur town on Wednesday on the charge of vandalizing electoral camp of an independent candidate ahead of national election.
Officer-in-Charge of Faridpur Kotwali Police Station Shahidul Islam said Samrat and his followers reportedly vandalized the election camp of independent candidate of Faridpur-3 AK Azad near Gerda High School in Ward No. 3 of Gerda Union.
In Lalmonirhat-3 (Sadar) Constituency, 14 activists of Jatiya Party’s Plow symbol were injured in the attack by boat symbol activists.
The incident took place in front of Jatiya Party district office at Alorupa intersection in Lalmonirhat townat Wednesday noon.
In Manikganj-2 Constituency, there were threats against independent candidate and his supporters to cut off their hands and shoot people if they do not vote for boat.
On Wednesday afternoonindependent candidate Dewan Zahid Ahmed Tulu, also District Awami League treasurer, held a press conference in the town to protest the threat.
