Upazila Polls: One killed as AL factions clash

An Awami League leader was killed and 22 others were injured in factional clashes over the upcoming upazila election in three districts from Sunday night till yesterday.

In Nilphamari, the AL man was killed when supporters of two chairman candidates for Kishoreganj Upazila Parishad clashed in Bahagli Chairman Para village on Sunday night.

The victim, Tapan Kumar Sarker, 65, former general secretary of Kishoreganj upazila unit AL, was a supporter of party chairman candidate Zakir Hossain Babul. He was also the elder brother of AL rebel chairman contender Biplob Kumar Sarker. 

Locals and police said followers of Zakir were campaigning in Bahagli Chairman Para village around 8:00pm. At that time, supporters of AL rebel candidate Biplob were also campaigning there.

As both the groups came face to face, they hurled provocative words at each other. At one stage, they were locked in a clash. Tapan, who was leading the campaign for Babul, was critically injured during the clash.

He was rushed to local upazila health complex where doctors declared him dead.

Contacted, Mesbahul Hasan Chowdhury, upazila health and family planning officer, said the victim was brought dead to the hospital. The reason for his death could be known after an autopsy.

Harun-ur-Rashid, officer-in-charge of Kishoreganj Police Station, said the body was sent to Nilphamari 100-bed Hospital for an autopsy.

In Tangail, at least 15 people were injured in a clash between supporters of AL chairman nominee Motiar Rahman Gaus and party rebel chairman candidate Kazi Alid Islam for Basail Upazila Parishad yesterday.

Both the groups were locked in a fight in the upazila town when Motiar and Alid were going to submit their nomination papers to the returning officer around 11:00am, said SM Tuhin Ali, OC of Basail Police Station.

On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Additional policemen were deployed to avoid further untoward incident, he said.

The injured were admitted to Basail Upazila Health Complex and Tangail General Hospital.

Gaus and Alid blamed each other for the incident.  

In another incident, at least seven people were wounded and 12 motorbikes were vandalised when followers of AL chairman candidate for Mathbaria Upazila Parishad in Pirojpur allegedly attacked the office of party rebel candidate.

The AL rebel candidate, Riaz Uddin, alleged that supporters of party candidate Hossain Mosharraf Saku attacked his office in the upazila town around 1:30pm.

Contacted, Shawkat Anwar Islam, OC of Mathbaria Police Station, said on information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Additional law enforcers had been deployed in the area to avoid further violence.

Mosharraf could not be reached for comments.

The upazila polls will be held in five phases.

The Election Commission has already announced the polls schedules of four phases. The first phase will be held on March 10, the second on March 18, the third on March 24 and the fourth on March 31.

Our correspondents in Nilphamari, Tangail and Pirojpur contributed to the report.