Death in Barguna pre-polls violence: UP chairman candidate among 5 sent to jail

A Barguna court today sent a chairman candidate for Amtali upazila's Sadar Union Parishad election and four of his supporters to jail in a case filed over killing a supporter of another candidate in pre-polls violence on Wednesday.

Police arrested the five, including chairman candidate Abul Bashar Nayan Mridha, yesterday after Tashlima Begum, wife of victim Hiron Gazi, filed a murder case with Amtali Police Station, our Patuakhali correspondent reports quoting police.

Around this noon, all arrestees were produced before Amtali Senior Judicial Magistrate's Court, which sent them to jail, said Kazi Sakhawat Hossain Tapu, officer-in-charge of Amtali Police Station.

The four other accused -- Sohag Pada, 35, Mahbub, 40, Golam Kibria, 32, and Mehdi Hasan, 34 -- are supporters of chairman candidate Abul Bashar Nayan Mridha.

Hiron, the victim, was a close supporter of another chairman candidate Motahar Uddin Mridha.

The election will be held on April 28 and nine candidates are vying for the chairman post in this election.

Quoting the case statement, police said Hiron had information that candidate Abul Bashar along with his supporters was distributing money among voters to buy votes in East Mahishdanga village around 11:30pm on Wednesday.

Later, Hiron along with 10-12 people went to the spot and protested.

As both groups had an altercation, adversaries attacked Hiron with sharp weapons, leaving him dead on the spot, added the case statement.