Over 27,000 opposition men sued in 3 districts

Over 27,000 opposition activists were sued on charges of setting fire to polling centres, snatching ballot boxes, exploding crude bombs, threatening voters and polling officers, blocking roads to polling centres and attacks on cops in Bogra, Jhenidah and Nilphamari districts on the election day and the day before.
Our Bogra correspondent reported that the presiding officers of 14 polling centres in Gabtoli upazila filed 14 separate cases yesterday and on Monday, accusing 26,000 Jamaat-Shibir and BNP men.
In the case statements, the complainants stated that the accused vandalised the polling centres, set fire to some of them, snatched ballot papers and ballot boxes, gave death threat to the voters and polling officers, blocked roads to the centres, blasted crude bombs and clashed with police on Saturday and during election on Sunday..
The returning officer postponed voting at 46 out of 88 centres in the upazila on Sunday on the same grounds. Re-election at the centres will be held on January 16.
Sub-Inspector Lal Mia of Gabtoli Police Station said joint forces have already launched drives to arrest the persons involved in the destructive activities. Police on Monday arrested six activists of the BNP-led 18-party alliance from different areas of the upazila, he added.
In Jhenidah, police and the election officer of Kotchandpur upazila filed four cases on Monday, accusing 80 identified and 720 unnamed BNP and Jamaat-Shibir men of torching 13 polling centres and stabbing three constables and looting ballot papers and ballot boxes from three others in the upazila on the night of January 4 and the election day on January 5, reports our correspondent.
One of the cases was filed by police for stabbing three constables at Mamunshia centre on the election day. The remaining three cases were filed by the upazila election officer for setting fire to the polling centres and looting ballot papers and ballot boxes.
The returning officer postponed voting at the 17 polling centres and repelling will be held at the centres on January 16. None of the accused in the cases was arrested as of 5:00pm yesterday.
Our correspondent from Nilphamari adds: Five cases were filed with Jaldhaka Police Station yesterday and on Monday night against 21 named and 630 unnamed opposition activists on charges of arson attacks on five polling centres, snatching ballot boxes and assaulting presiding officers in the upazila on the election day and the day before.
Officer in Charge Moniruzzaman of Jaldhaka Police Station said the presiding officers of five centres filed the case, accusing 651 BNP and Jamaat-Shibir men.
Upazila Election Officer Sekendar Ali said voting was postponed at four polling centres under Nilphamari-3 constituencies. These are Pashchim Golmunda Brahmanpara Registered Primary School, Khathali Government. rimary School, Dhakkhin Deshibai Government Primary School and Deshibai Kachari Government Primary School.
Criminals set fire to Bogulagari Baroghariapara Government Primary School on Saturday night, but voting took place at the centre on Sunday, he said, adding that re-election at the centres will be held on January 16.
Officer-in-Charge Moniruzzaman of Jaldhaka Police station said they arrested one of the accused named Jalek, 25, a Shibir activist, from Alapara Kachari village on Monday night.