One killed, 29 hurt in clashes, attacks
Clashes, attacks on rival camps and crude bomb blasts left one person killed, 50 others injured, marring the 12th national election yesterday.
Two policemen and four Ansar members were among the injured with law enforcers using firearms in different districts and the Election Commission suspending voting at several polling centres.
In Munshiganj, locals found the body of local Sramik League leader Zillur Rahman, 45, near the polling centre at Rikabibazar Primary School around 9:30am.
There was a stab wound on the back of his head.
He was a supporter of Mrinal Kanti Das, the AL candidate in Munshiganj-3 constituency.
His daughter Moumita said Shahidul Islam Shahin, councillor of Ward-6, and his men killed her father.
Shahidul refuted the allegation, saying he had not left his home in the morning because he was sick.
Clashes were reported in Chattogram, Jamalpur, Patuakhali, Cumilla, Narsingdi, Noakhali, Chandpur, Brahmanbaria, and Narayanganj throughout the day.
In Tangail's Gopalpur, supporters of independent candidate Yunus Islam Talukder Thandu snatched a ballot box containing around 300 ballot papers and set it on fire around 3:30pm.
They assaulted two Ansar members who tried to stop them. Police used firearms to calm the situation.
On Saturday night and yesterday, around 125 crude bombs exploded in the capital, Rajshahi and Habiganj.
The election was held amid a 48-hour hartal called by the BNP and its like-minded parties that boycotted the election.
From January 5 evening till last night, firefighters reported 29 incidents of fire on vehicles, polling centres, a train, and a temple.
In Cumilla's Debidwar upazila, a 60-year-old man named Nawab Ali died after several supporters of Abul Kalam Azad, an Awami League leader who ran as an independent, shoved him and he fell to ground, said his son Jewel Rana, adding that his father was returning home after casting his vote around 10:00am.
Police said there was no injury mark on the body.
As armed groups engaged in a clash in the morning in Chattogram's Khulshi area, a college student named Shanto Barua, 24, got shot in the stomach when he was walking to a nearby polling centre.
Another person who got shot in the incident was named by police as Muhammad Jamal, 35, a resident of Arju Mia Colony.
Seeking anonymity, a sub-inspector of police said in the photos of the incident taken by reporters, a man who was seen brandishing a firearm is Chhatra League activist Shamim Azad.
Shamim is a follower of Chattogram City Corporation Councillor Wasim Uddin, also vice president of Chattogram city Jubo League.
When The Daily Star reporter contacted Wasim over the phone, he said he knows Shamim. "But I don't know what he was doing at the time. I was not present at the scene. I don't know anything," he said and disconnected the phone.
In the port city's Chandgaon area, clashes between police and BNP activists took place at regular intervals throughout the day while four people were injured as supporters of rivals candidates clashed in Dohazari.
Besides, a presiding officer of a polling centre in Chattogram's Patia was assaulted when he tried to stop a group of men from stamping ballot papers around 2:00pm.
In Rajshahi last night, two policemen and two Ansar members were injured in clashes between law enforcers and supporters of an independent candidate. At least two motorcycles of law enforcers were damaged in the clashes.
In Jamalpur, at least 12 people were injured in clashes between supporters of Jamalpur-4 AL nominee Mahbubur Rahman and independent Abdur Rashid Helal.
Police fired five bullets to bring the situation under control, said Mushfiqur Rahman, OC of Sarishabari Police Station.
Voting remained suspended for almost half an hour at a polling centre due to the incident, the OC added.
In Patuakhali, six people including personal assistant of Jatiyo Party leader ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader were wounded when a group of 50 to 60 people allegedly led by AL nominated candidate and AL organising secretary Afzal Hossain's brother Kamal Hossain attacked JP supporters in Kachabunia area of Patuakhali-1 constituency in the afternoon.
Kamal could not be reached for comments.
Muhammad Jashim, OC of Patuakhali Sadar Police Station, said he heard that there was a scuffle between two groups.
In Narayanganj's Araihajar upazila, voting at Ramchandradi Government Primary School was suspended due to alleged attacks and vandalism by JP supporters.
Two JP supporters were injured as police opened fire.
The JP said its supporters were protesting voter fraud.
In Narsingdi, a vehicle carrying AL nominee Fazle Rabbi Khan was vandalised allegedly by the supporters of AL leader and independent Sirajul Islam Mollah. Sirajul said the allegation was baseless.
In Faridganj, Chandpur, supporters of two rival camps clashed and a police vehicle was vandalised during the incident.
In Noakhali's Senbagh, rival groups used firearms in a clash near a polling station leaving six men injured.
Crude bomb explosions left four people, including a child, injured near a polling centre in the capital's Hazaribagh.
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