Dhaka, Dec 11 (Just News): A ruling Awami League activist was killed in Noakhali and more than 100 people were injured in electoral violence at places on Tuesday, the second day of the electioneering in the December 30 general election.
Mohammad Hanif, 25, an activist of the AL-backed youth organisation Juba League, was killed and 20 others were injured as activists of the Awami League and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party clashed at Nuru Patwarir Hat under Noakhali Sadar upazila.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamghir’s motorcade came under attack in his hometown in Thakurgaon.
Besides, the motorcades of BNP candidates were attacked in Bogura, Jhenaidah and Chuadanga while electoral violence occurred at places, including Kabirhat upazila in Noakhali, Madhabdi in Narsingdi, Shahjadpur in Sirajganj, Shyamnagar and Sadar in Satkhira and in Rupsha upazila in Khulna.
Activists of Ganosamhati Andolan were injured in an attack at Karwanbazar in Dhaka during electioneering for their chief coordinator Zonayed Saki, the party candidate for Dhaka 12 constituency, Monday evening.
Candidates and their supporters began electioneering for the 11th parliamentary elections on Monday following the allocation of electoral symbols amidst fear of clashes and attacks.
The Awami League and opposition alliance Jatiya Oikya Front are scheduled for today to formally launch electioneering.
At a briefing for judicial magistrates at the Election Commission headquarters in Dhaka, chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda asked the magistrates to maintain election atmosphere and not to allow electoral violence to destabilise the situation.
He said that electioneering already began emitting heat and the commission needed to be watchful so that the election could not heat up.
‘We have to ensure that everyone follows the electoral code of conduct,’ he added.
New Age correspondent in Noakhali reported that Hanif, Aoajbalia ward Juba League general secretary, was killed and 20 others were injured in a clash between AL and BNP at Nuru Patwarir Hat under Noakhali Sadar upazila at about 4:30pm.
Local people and police officials said that the clash ensued when a procession of AL candidate for Noakhali 4 Ekramul Huq Chowdhury was passing by a house where BNP and Jamaat leaders and activists were in a meeting.
They said that both the groups clashed using brick bats, sticks and opened fire on each other and Hanif sustained bullet injury.
He was rushed to Noakhali general hospital where doctors on duty declared him dead, Sudharam police station officer-in-charge Anwar Hossain said.
Resident medical officer at the hospital Syed Mahiuddin Abdul Azim said that Hanif was brought dead and that the body had a mark of bullet injury in the leg and there were many marks of hit with heavy substances at parts of the body.
In another incident in Noakhali, over 50 AL and BNP leaders and activists were injured and several shops were vandalised in an hour-long clashes until noon at Kabirhat bazaar where BNP candidate for Noakhali 5 Moudud Ahmed was scheduled for holding a street rally.
Kabirhat municipal unit BNP president Mostafizur Rahman Manju alleged that at least 30 BNP leaders and activists, including upazila BNP general secretary Kamrul Huda Chowdhury Liton and Abdus Sattar, Abdur Rashid, Alauddin and Golam Mohit Faisal, were injured and several shops and BNP election camp were vandalised by AL activists.
He alleged that the AL activists attacked peaceful procession of BNP electioneering.
Kabirhat upazila Juba League general secretary Nazrul Islam alleged that at least 20 AL activists, including Abdul Jalil and Ismail, were injured when they were attacked from a BNP procession near Nabarun Academy at Kabirhat bazaar in the morning.
Kabirhat police station officer-in-charge Mirza Mohammad Hasan said that they rushed the spot and brought the situation under control. Additional police forces were deployed in the area.
BNP secretary general Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged at Garoahat of Thakurgaon that the ruling party activists attacked his motorcade in a planned way as they realised that they had lost popularity.
He alleged that the ruling party activists continued attacks on BNP while police were arresting BNP activists as AL had lost popularity.
He urged the administration to remain alert to stop any recurrence of such incidents.
New Age correspondent in Thakurgaon reported that Mirza Fakhrul’s motorcade came under attack reportedly by AL activists in presence of police at Danarhat of Sadar upazila, leaving at least 10 BNP activists injured.
District BNP president Taimur Rahman alleged that a group of AL activists attacked Fakhrul’s motorcade at about noon, damaging at least eight vehicles.
Fakhrul managed to escape the attack unhurt.
Fakhrul’s personal secretary Mohammad Yunus said that the BNP leader reached Saidpur Airport from Dhaka by air in the morning and his motorcade came under attack by a group of AL activists led by union parishad chairman Boni Amin when he had been returning to Thakurgaon district town after visiting the houses of BNP activists arrested Monday night.
AL leader Boni did not respond to several calls from New Age for comments.
Fakhrul is contesting the election for two seats — Thakurgaon 1 and Bogura 6.
Thakurgaon sadar police station officer-in-charge Mostafizur Rahman said that cops were investigating the incident and would take necessary actions against the perpetrators.
New Age correspondent in Bogura reported that a number of BNP leaders and activists were injured and 10 motorcycles were vandalised as about 50 AL activists attacked the motorcade of BNP candidate for Bogura 5 Golam Mohammad Siraj at Kalapatti of Dhunat upazila town Tuesday morning.
Local people said that AL activists, during electioneering, beat up BNP activists Nadim and Mostafa at Elangi Bazar Monday evening and, as a sequel, the AL activists set fire to the house of Juba Dal leader Murad at village Rangamati under the upazila at about 11:30pm on Monday.
Siraj alleged that the AL activists attacked his motorcade at Kalapatti when he had been heading towards Murad’s house on Tuesday at about 11:45am and added that his jeep and at least 10 motorcycles were vandalised and a number of BNP activists were injured.
Dhunat police station inspector (investigation) Faruqul Islam said that some derailed people had attacked Siraj’s motorcade and additional police forces were deployed in the upazila town.
New Age correspondent in Narsingdi reported that at least eight BNP activists were injured and three motorcycles were vandalised when about 60 BNP leaders and activists by motorcycles in favour of BNP for Narsingdi 2 candidate Abdul Moeen Khan came under attack by AL activists at Nehabo under Madhabdi upazila at about 1:00pm on Tuesday.
New Age correspondent in Sirajganj, quoting district BNP general secretary Iqbal Hossain Hiru, reported that AL leaders and activists attacked the house of BNP candidate MA Muhith at Rambari under Shahajadpur upazila while at least 50 BNP activists were injured and three motorcycles were set on fire.
Shahjadpur municipal AL general secretary Amirul Islam Shahu claimed that BNP activists attacked an AL motorcycle procession from the house.
New Age correspondent in Jhenaidah, quoting locals and BNP leaders, reported that AL activists attacked the motorcade of BNP candidate for Jhenaidah 1 Md Asaduzzaman and vandalised at least five cars and burned his posters at Sheikhpara bazaar under Shailakupa upazila at about 5:30pm.
No casualties were reported, they said.
New Age correspondent in Khulna reported that Aichgati union Swechchhasebak Dal organising secretary Farhad Sheikh, 28, of village Rajapur under Rupsha upazila was hacked allegedly by a group of 10-15 Chattra League and Juba League activists at Rajapur bazaar at about 8:00pm on Monday while he was returning after taking part in a procession for BNP candidate for Khulna 4 Azizul Bari Helal.
Aichgati police outpost in-charge sub-inspector Shahidul Islam said that they rushed the spot but could not identify the attackers as they entered into the procession in support of AL candidate and the victim was sent to Khulna Medical College Hospital.
In Chuadanga, BNP candidate for Chuadanga 1 Sharifuzzaman alleged that a group of people chanting ‘Joy Bangla’ slogan attacked his motorcade at Munshiganj bazar under Alamdanga upazila at about 9:30pm on Monday, leaving at least 10 BNP activists injured and two microbuses vandalised.
District returning officer Gopal Chandra Das said that he received Sharifuzzaman’s complaint over phone.
New Age correspondent in Satkhira, quoting owners of two printing presses, reported that a group of attackers beat up a press worker and snatched 18,000 posters and 3,000 leaflets of BNP candidate for Satkhira 4 at Nakipur bazaar of Shyamnagar upazila town Monday evening.
Unidentified people took away a huge number of hanging posters BNP-led alliance candidate and burnt them at Baikari, Ghona and Alipur unions, all under Satkhira 2 constituency, and attacked three houses of BNP activists and ransacked a fertiliser shop at Baikari union.
The Awami League will start party’s formal electoral campaigns today placing wreath at the grave of the country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara in Gopalganj.
Party president and prime minister Sheikh Hasina, accompanied by central leaders of the party, would reach Tungipara in the morning by road.
Hasina would address two rallies in Kotalipara and Tungipara on the day. She would return Dhaka after staying at her ancestral village on December 13 by road.
Jatiya Oikya Front comprising of BNP, Gono Forum, Jatiya Samajtanrik Dal (Rob), Nagorik Oikya and Krishak Sramik Janata League would begin electioneering from Sylhet today.
After a meeting of the front on Tuesday, BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan at a briefing said that the front would formally launch electioneering from Sylhet city today after offering fateha at shrines of Hazrat Shah Jalal (R) and Hazrat Shah Paran ( R ).
A total of 1,745 partisan candidates and 96 independent candidates are contesting in the elections in 300 constituencies.
(Justnews/ys/2330hr)
