EC suspends polls in two upazilas for violence

The Election Commission has suspended election in Pirojpur's Mathbaria upazila and Noakhali's Kabirhat upazila over polls related violence between the ruling party men and its rebel candidates.

The fourth phase of the upazila polls was scheduled to be held on March 31.

In Mathbaria, a union-level Swechchhashebak League leader was hacked to death on Monday and over a hundred people were injured during a clash between the supporters of the ruling Awami League nominated candidate Hossain Mosarrof Saku and AL rebel candidate Riaz Uddin Ahmed.

After the incident, Mohammad Salam Kabir, superintendent of Pirojpur police, and Sawkat Anwar Islam, officer-in-charge of Mathbaria Police Station, were closed as they “failed to stop election related violence”.

EC Deputy Secretary Atiar Rahman, in a signed notice, said the condition of Mathbaria upazila was not favourable for holding the polls on March 31.

The election will remain suspended until further order, he added.

Elsewhere in Noakhali's Kabirhat upazila, at least 10 people were injured as the supporters of AL candidate Kamrun Nahar Sheuli and AL rebel candidate Ala Bux Titu locked into a clash.

Several rounds of bullets were fired during the clash and four people were admitted to Noakhali General Hospital with bullet injuries.

The EC suspended the polls as it suspected a free and fair election would not be possible in such a violent situation, read a letter signed by EC Deputy Secretary Atiar Rahman.

Tomas Barua, officer-in-charge of Kabirhat Police Station, said the violence occurred as supporters of both the chairman aspirants went on separate processions at the same time without any permission.

“The situation is now under control,” he added.

Our Noakhali and Pirojpur correspondents contributed to this report.