Violence ahead of Chattogram City Corporation polls
We're worried about the escalation of tensions and violence ahead of the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) polls scheduled for January 27. On Tuesday, in a clash between the supporters of two rival councillor candidates from Awami League in the port city's Mogoltuli Mogpukur Par area, a man identified as Azgar Ali Babul was shot dead while another suffered a gunshot injury. Both of them were supporters of Nazrul Islam Bahadur, who secured his party's backing for his candidacy and was a councillor of ward-28 between 2010 and 2015. The other candidate is Abdul Quader, a Jubo League leader who was elected councillor in the polls held in 2015 but failed to get party ticket this time. Quader decided to vie in the polls anyway, defying party decision.
The conflict ensued following removal of Quader's posters by some of Bahadur's supporters, and the situation further deteriorated when both candidates went to the same area for campaigning the following evening. Worryingly, a total of 12 former ward councillors who did not get support from Awami League are vying in the polls, all defying party decisions. This points to lack of discipline and central control within the party in Chattogram, and is a likely fallout of the decision to allow parties to field candidates at the ward council election level. In yet another display of the escalating tensions, Ashikur Rahman Rohit, an activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), succumbed to his injuries yesterday after being stabbed on January 8 over a brawl which ensued between him and his killers. Ashikur and the alleged killers were all supporters of Chattogram's AL-nominated Pashchim Bakalia ward councillor candidate Md Shahidul Alam. The killers are yet to be apprehended.
Such incidents taking place ahead of the polls are a tell-tale sign of things to come. While we appreciate the joint effort by the police and Rapid Action Battalion to detain 26 people including Quader during a prompt drive following the clash on Tuesday night, we would urge them to remain vigilant at all times so that no violence takes place in the remaining days before the election and of course on election day. The polls must be held peacefully, without any fear among the voters or violent clashes among the supporters of rival candidates. Stern action must be taken against anyone violating the law and the electoral code of conduct. And parties failing to control their errant leaders and activists must bear responsibility for their actions.
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