Bagmara a headache for Rajshahi

Out of six constituencies of Rajshahi district, Rajshahi-4 alone, comprising Bagmara upazila, has caused the most headache for election officials.

Since the polls campaign began, five cases have been filed with Bagmara police till yesterday in connection with clashes between supporters of Awami League's candidate Abul Kalam Azad and independent candidate Enamul Haque, also the incumbent lawmaker from AL, police said.

Three of the cases were filed by Enamul's men and police so far arrested two supporters of Azad in the cases, said Rajshahi SP Md Saifur Rahman.

"We conveyed our message to the rival parties that we will not allow any violation of the election code of conduct," he said.

"BGB and Rab personnel will start patrolling the troubled areas from Saturday, although the forces are scheduled to be deployed from next Wednesday," said Md Uzzal Hossain, ARO and UNO of the upazila.

However, the initiatives had little effect.

Yesterday morning, Enamul alleged that Azad's men vandalised three of their offices in the Dippur area on Wednesday night.

He also alleged that the AL candidate's supporters intercepted his campaigns in Ganipur, Basupara and Sonadanga areas and removed all his posters from the Hamirkutsa Bazar area.

"Some armed outsiders in several black microbuses are showing up and threatening my campaign workers of dire consequences," Enamul claimed.

Contacted, Azad's chief election coordinator Mahbubur Rahman made a counter allegation that Enamul's men had burnt one of their offices in Maria union on Wednesday night.

"We are campaigning all day and he (Enamul) is raising allegations against us sitting at home. We're not raising our complaints to save the government from criticism," he said.

Meanwhile, Azad was seen in a video clip asking Enamul to leave the upazila.

"Leave Bagmara bag and baggage. You extorted from the people of Bagmara. Return their money. Otherwise, we along with the people shall confine you to your cold storage," Azad said while addressing a gathering.

Azad also alleged that Enamul unleashed the surrendered members of Sorbohara Party and JMB upon them.

Enamul claimed that he brought peace to Bagmara by providing them an opportunity to return to normal lives. "None of them have are engaged in any crimes now," he also claimed.

Contacted, SP Saifur Rahman said no allegation of involvement in crimes has been raised against those who surrendered.