Two people were killed and over 50 others injured in pre-and post-UP poll violence in Joypurhat, Kurigram, Natore and Lalmonirhat districts on Sunday night.
Our Dinajpur correspondent reported that a man was killed as police opened fire on some unruly people who tried to snatch ballot boxes from a polling centre in Panchbibi upazila of Joypurhat district at around 9:30pm.
The deceased was identified as Masudar Rahman Masum, 38, son of Ayub Hossain of Gohati area in Panchbibi municipality.
Masudar Rahman, also the nephew of Nuruzzaman Chowdhury Biplop, an Awami League (AL) supported chairman candidate of Balighata Union Parishad, received three bullets and died on way of Joypurhat Modern Hospital.
Biman Karmaker, officer-in-charge of Panchbibi Police Station, said the supporters of Nuruzzaman Chowdhury stormed into Kashpur Adivasi Government Primary School centre in the union before announcement of election results and vandalised polling booths.
As the unruly supporters of the chairman candidate were trying to snatch the ballot boxes, police opened fire to disperse them, the OC said, adding that the supporters of Nuruzzaman also assaulted Presiding Officer Udoy Kumar Kundo and the polling officers and set fire to at least 300 ballot papers.
At least 10 people were injured as police charged batons on the unruly people.
Immediately after the incident, the presiding officer postponed the election results of the centre. He filed a case with Panchbibi police Station yesterday.
Police yesterday arrested five people for their alleged involvement in Sunday night's incident. The arrestees are Emran Hossain Mondol, 30, Sherakul Islam, 32, Sukumar Mohanto, 26, of Pashpur village, Raihan Ali, 25, of Shedoil-Bombo village, and Ayub Hossain, 24, of Horenda village under BaliGhata Union.
In Kurigram, the supporters of a defeated member candidate clashed with the men of an elected member in Newashi Union under Nageshwari upazila on Sunday night, leaving a man dead and 14 others injured, reports our correspondent.
The dead was identified as Md Ayub Ali Master, a teacher of Bhitarbanda High School in Bhutarbanda Union and an inhabitant of Gobardhaner Kuthi village in Newashi Union.
Police said the clash ensued after the supporters of defeated member candidate Abdus Sattar attacked the house of elected UP member Ziaur Rahman at Gobardhaner Kuthi village at around 10:15pm. Both sides used lethal weapons during the clash, leaving at least 15 people injured.
Of the injured, Ayub Ali Master, Saleha Begum, Abdul Baten, Majibur Rahman, Nuruzzaman, Shahidul Islam, Anwara Begum, Abdus Salam, Sirajul Islam, Nur Jamal and Faruq Hossain were admitted to Nageswari Upazila Health Complex while the rest given first aid.
Ayub Ali Master was referred to Rangpur Medical College and Hospital (RMCH) where he died at around 2:30am yesterday.
According to our Lalmonirhat correspondent, at least 10 people were injured and five motorbikes vandalised in a pre-poll clash between the supporters of two chairman candidates at Chandonpat village under Komlabari Union of Aditmari upazila on Sunday night.
In Natore, post-poll violence in Haibatpur and Diyar Saturia areas under Laxmipur Kholabaria Union of Natore Sadar upazila left at least 18 people injured.
Our Jamalpur correspondent reported that the supporters of defeated chairman candidate Abdul Baten and chairman-elect Rafiqul Islam clashed at Haibatpur at around 9:00pm, leaving 10 people from both sides injured.
In another incident at Diyar Saturia in the same union, at least eight people sustained injuries as the supporters of two defeated member candidates clashed at around 11:00pmon Sunday.