At least 24 people were injured by shotgun pellets during an attack on the election campaign of the Jatiya Party candidate for Chattogram-16 in Banshkhali yesterday afternoon, said police and witnesses.

The JP blamed activists of the ruling Awami League for the incident and claimed that 37 of its supporters were wounded.

Tarikul Islam Chowdhury, campaign coordinator of JP contender Mahmudul Islam Chowdhury, alleged that AL men attacked their rally at Chambal Bazar around 4:00pm.

The attackers suddenly opened fire, leaving the JP men injured. They also vandalised the vehicle of the candidate, he added.

There were policemen in the area, but they didn't take any action, alleged Tarikul.

The JP's rally was scheduled for Thursday, but it was deferred as the AL organised a meeting at Chambal Bazar on the same day.

“Although we had permission from the local administration to hold the meeting, we rescheduled the rally to avoid any clash. But they [Awami League men] seemed to be determined to attack us. And they did it,” said Tarikul.

Contacted, AL candidate Mustafizur Rahman Chowdhury declined to comment.

Alauddin Talukder, assistant sub-inspector of the police outpost at Chittagong Medical College Hospital, said at least 24 people were admitted to the hospital around 8:00pm with pellet injuries.

Protesting the attack, supporters of Mahmudul put up barricades across the Banshkhali-Chattogram road around 5:00pm.

Police reached the spot around 7:00pm, used batons to disperse protesters and cleared the barricades, said witnesses.

A car used in the electioneering was also vandalised. Photo: Collected

ATTACKS ON ELECTION CAMPS

Three AL and a BNP election camps were torched and vandalised in Tangail and Chattogram early yesterday.

Criminals torched a camp of AL candidate Ataur Rahman Khan for Tangail-3 in the district's Behula around 2:00am.

Shahidul Islam Hasting, member of the candidate's campaign coordination committee, said local BNP-Jamaat men might be behind the attack.

Ataur is the father of incumbent AL lawmaker Amanur Rahman Khan Rana.

A group of unidentified people vandalised an election camp of BNP candidate for Tangail-2 Sultan Salahuddin Tuku in Bhuapur upazila's Biramdi area around 12:30am.

The vandals were chanting “Joy Bangla”, the slogan of ruling AL, during the attack, claimed Selim Miah, elder brother of Tuku who is now behind bars.

In Chattogram, criminals torched and vandalised two polls camps of Chattogram-4 AL candidate Didarul Alam in Gozaria Dighir Par and Bhuiyanpara areas of Sitakunda upazila early yesterday, said police.

“It is not clear who attacked the camps. We're investigating the incidents,” said Inspector (investigation) Afzal Hossain of Sitakunda Police Station.

Sitakunda Municipality Mayor Badiul Alam, also the chief of the   AL's election campaign coordination committee in the municipality,      said they suspected that Jamaat-Shibir men might have carried out the  attacks to harm the election environment.

ARRESTS, CASES

Police arrested Jamaat leader Mohammed Abu Sayeed Shahadat Hossain from his residence in Jhikargachha upazila around  11:30am yesterday. He is running the national election in Jashore-2 on BNP ticket.

Shahadat has been facing several sabotage cases. On October 30, he secured bail from the High Court in one of those.

Abdur Razzak, OC of Jhikargachha Police Station, said Shahadat didn't appear in the court after expiry of his bail term.

In Bogura, some 72 named and 2,000-3,000 unnamed BNP leaders and activists were sued on charges of attacking, vandalising and looting money from the house of Ataur Rahman Geda, vice president of Pakulla Union AL in Sonatala upazila.

Ataur filed the case with Sonatala Police Station yesterday.

Bogura BNP Joint Secretary MR Islam Sadhin and district Jubo Dal President Sipar Al Baktiar were among the accused, said Inspector Zahid Hossain of the police station.

In Chattogram, police arrested Abdul Mannan, vice president of   EPZ thana BNP, in the port city in an arson case.