AL men capture centres, BNP, others quit polls
All the BNP-backed candidates as well as a few 'rebel' Awami League (AL) contestants in yesterday's upazila parishad elections in Tazumuddin, Daulatkhan and Monpura upazilas under the district, withdrew from the polls, alleging that the candidates blessed by the ruling AL virtually controlled the polling centres.
Agents of the opponents, even voters, were chased out from some centres as the administration and police failed to give protection, alleged the boycotting candidates.
At least 35 people were injured in clashes in three upazilas.
Police arrested two people in Monpura upazila for fake voting. They were awarded six months imprisonment.
The boycotting candidates demanded fresh polls in their respective upazilas.
Tazumuddin: BNP 'rebel' chairman candidate Golam Mostofa Mintu boycotted the upazila parishad election at around 9:00am.
"Awami League backed chairman candidate Ohidullah Jasim's supporters chased out my agents from 20 of the 31 centres with the help of local administration," he alleged at a press conference in Tazumuddin Press Club.
A few of his polling agents from different polling centres were present there.
He also declared a half day hartal in the area on Monday demanding a fresh poll.
BNP blessed candidate Amirul Islam Baset boycotted the election at around 11:00am due to the same allegation. He said his supporters including Yasin, Manik, Mamun, Yousuf, Jahir, Rahman, Sohel, Shamsu, Nasim and Faruk were injured when they tried to stop AL supporters from rigging. He also alleged that the election authorities did not take any steps although he showed them how AL supporters were casting fake votes at Kanchanpur Government Primary School centre.
Supporters of chairman candidates Abdul Matin Master and Mohiuddin Matabbar, both belonging to AL, locked in a clash in front of Chachra High School centre around 2:00pm, leaving 15 people injured. They were admitted to Tazumuddin Upazila Health Complex.
Visiting Chandpur High School centre around 12:30pm, this correspondent found no voters in the line.
Daulatkhan: At around 8:30am, voters were found in a long queue at Fakir Bari centre but only a single vote was cast amid apparent dilly-dallying in the process. At around 9:00am, supporters of AL backed candidate Monjurul Khan, led by Farhad Member, tried to take control of the centre. Supporters of independent candidate Sheikh Farid tried to resist them but failed as police allegedly favoured Farhad's men. At around 10:00am, the centre became emptied of voters.
Visiting several other centres in the upazila till noon, no agents of BNP backed candidates were found.
BNP backed candidate Munsi Jahurul Islam Khusbu boycotted the election at around 11:00am and AL rebel Mamunur Rashid Babul Chowdhury did so around 2:30pm. They alleged that supporters of AL backed candidate Monjurul Khan captured all the centres with the help of police and local administration.
Monpura: At around 10:30am, BNP backed chairman candidate Shamsuddin Bachchu Chowdhury announced boycotting the election at a press conference where 19-party alliance and Jamaat-e-Islami blessed vice chairman candidate Hafez Maolana Rafikul Islam, independent female vice-chairman candidate Yasmin Jahan Minu were also present. At around 11:00am AL rebel female vice-chairman candidate boycotted the election.
All of them alleged that AL supporters took control in all the 20 polling centres, chased out their agents and started vote rigging.
They said police acted in favour of the AL blessed candidates, and informed the AL activists when the magistrate or newsmen came. An altercation between AL-backed vice-chairman aspirant Abdul Latif Bhuiyan and 'rebel' candidate Salauddin Helal stopped voting at Sonarchar Government Primary School centre at around 12:00pm. It resumed after one hour.
AL backed chairman candidates Monjurul Khan of Daulatkhan, Selina Chowdhury of Monpura and Ohidullah Jasim of Tazumuddin denied all the allegations and said that the opponents boycotted the election for unreasonable causes.
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