Youth shot dead during UP polls

A youth was shot dead as two groups of people clashed during a union parishad by-election in the district's Bijoynagar upazila yesterday.

The dead, Babul Mia, 32, was son of Abdul Hakim of Sathirpara village.

Abdur Rob, officer-in-charge of Bijoynagar Police Station, said supporters of Hamidur Rahman Hamdu, who won the election to Champaknagar union parishad, and his rival candidate Jahangir Hossain Shah Alam were locked in an altercation over casting fake votes at Petuajuri Government Primary School polling station around 4:00pm. 

At one stage, the two groups attacked each other with locally made weapons and traded fire. Babul, a supporter of Hamidur, was hit by bullets.

Babul was taken to Akhaura Upazila Health Complex where on-duty doctors declared him dead.

Twenty-two other people were also injured in the clash. Five of them sustained bullet injuries. The injured were admitted to Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital and the upazila health complex.

On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control after firing rubber bullets.

The chairman post of Champaknagar union parishad recently fell vacant following the death of its chairman Akther Hossain, brother of Hamidur.