Poll campaign ends amid clashes, killing

Noman Mosharef :
The most debated as well as disputed 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) polls are going to be held with less than a dayleft as the electioneering was marred by wide spread violence like cocktail and arson attacks in polling centres and election camps in Feni, Rajshahi, Khulna, Natore, Naogaon, Jamalpur and Chapainawabganj.

At least seven people were killed and several hundred injured in countrywide clashes during the electioneering set to end at midnight of Friday.

Meanwhile, BNP activists and police clashed in Cumilla as the party tried to bring out a precision calling for boycotting the 7 January election, leaving 5 people injured as the law enforcement forces resorted to blank-fireto contain the situation.

The incident occurred in front of Government Women’s College in Cumilla on Friday (5 January).

In Feni, a polling centre in Sonagazi upazila’s Charshaha Bhikari High School was set on fireby a group of unidentified people in morning.

Some furniture was damaged in the fire, which gutted the school’s teachers’ auditorium, Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police (Sonagazi-Daganbhuiyan Circle) Tasnim Hossain said police were investigating the incident to determine whether it was aimed at disrupting the polling activities.

Meanwhile, there were two arson attacks in two of the Rajshahi polling stations in Bagmara and Mohanpur Thursday night. Rajshahi District Superintendent of Police Saifur Rahman said a cocktail attack took place in the office room of Akkelpur High School of Ganipur Union of Bagmara, which is designated as a polling station.

The windows were broken, and some of the furniture and books in the room were burnt.

Police recovered two cocktail-like objects from the spot. Two other fire incidents were reported on the same day in Bagha upazila, but those could not be ascertained as arson attacks.

On the same night, a group of people set fire to an election camp of the Awami League-nominated candidate in the Chapainawabganj-1 constituency.

Meanwhile, an election camp of Asif Abdullah Shovon, an independent candidate from the Natore-4 constituency, was set on fire in Natore’s Baraigram upazila.

Unidentified people set fire to the camp in the Haroa area of Banpara municipality of the upazila. The camp’s furniture was damaged in the fire.

Inspector Sirajul Islam, in charge of Banpara Police Investigation Centre, said police visited the spot and collected evidence.

Khulna-3 Awami League candidate SM Kamal Hossain’s election camp guard was set on fire while on duty in the early hours of Friday.

According to the police, two to three unidentified individuals poured petrol on Hasan Faraji, 42, and set his body on fire.

Locals rescued him and admitted to Khulna Medical College Hospital, where he is now undergoing treatment.

Khulna Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Mozammel Haque said because of his thick jacket, the fire was unable to spread throughout his body. However, the surface area of his head and neck were burned.

The individuals involved in the occurrence have been identified, he said, adding that an arrest operation is underway.

Five election camps of Awami League candidate Barrister Nizam Uddin Jalil of Naogaon-5 constituency, were set ablaze and vandalized by miscreants in different areas of Sadar upazila early Friday.

These incidents took place in Chakprasad Hindu Para, Anandnagar, Chandipur, Shingbacha, and Chakchapai areas of Shailgachi Union in the early hours.

Awami League leaders and activists claimed that the activists of independent candidate Dewan Chekar Ahmed Shishan have done this to create panic among the general voters.

Zahidur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Naogaon Sadar Police Station, said that the places of occurrence have been inspected.

“Action will be taken upon investigation if we receive complaints,” said the OC.

At least ten people were injured in a clash between supporters of independent candidate Dr Murad Hasan and Awami League candidate Engineer Mahbubur Rahman Helal in Sarishabari upazila of Jamalpur district on Thursday night.

The injured were admitted to Sarishabari Upazila Health Complex and are now undergoing treatment.

Police and witnesses said supporters of the AL candidate brought out a procession in the evening for the election campaign.

When they were crossing Sarishabari bus stand, the supporters of Murad, also former state minister, launched an attack on them at around 6.30pm, triggering a clash.

At least 10 people from both sides were injured during the clash.

Following the clash, the supporters of both groups blocked the Jamalpur-Sarishabari road in the area for around 30 minutes demanding fair justice.

Officer-in-charge of Sarishabari Police Station Mushfiqur Rahma said on information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

Legal action will be taken if any written complaint is received regarding the incident, he added.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) has postponed the balloting in Gaibandha-5 (Phulchari and Saghat) constituency, saying that the election environment is not favourable.

The commission revealed the information on Friday afternoon, two days before the nation goes to the polls.

One of the candidates, Farzana Rabbi Bubli earlier filed a writ alleging the bias of the officials in the upcoming elections.

She is running as an independent candidate in this seat with the truck symbol. She is the daughter of former Deputy Speaker late Advocate Fazle Rabbi Mia.

After the death of Fazle Rabbi Mia, Awami League-nominated candidate Mahmud Hasan Ripon won the by-election in Gaibandha-5 constituency in January last year.

He is also contesting this time with the Boat symbol.
Earlier, the EC postponed polls in the Naogaon-2 constituency after a candidate died.