UZ election ends amid stray incidents, irregularities

The voting in the fifth and last phase of upazila elections ended amid reports of stray incidents of violence in Sirajganj and Brahmanbaria.

Starting from 9:00 am, the voting in 20 upazilas across the country concluded at 5:00 pm without any break.

In Sirajganj, at least 10 people were injured in a clash between the supporters of Awami League candidate and independent candidate at a polling centre in Kamarkhand upazila of the district this morning.

The clash erupted between the supporters of AL chairman aspirant Abdul Matin and Independent candidate Shahidullah Sabuz over distributing voter sleep at Chowbaria Islamia High School centre, said Officer in Charge of Kamarkhand Police Station Habibul Islam.

Supporters of both groups attacked each other with bamboo sticks outside the centre, leaving 10 people injured, our Pabna correspondent reports quoting the OC.

An independent candidate Nasima Lutfur Rahman claimed that her house came under attack by unidentified miscreants in Brahmanbaria on June 18, 2019. Photo: Collected

In Brahmanbaria, activists of Chhatra League and Juba League tried to capture Boro Pukurpar Primary School centre in Pattan union of Bijoynagar upazila and snatched away the EVM machine when the local people drove them away, said Alamgir Hossain, additional superintendent of Brahmanbaria police.

In another incident of violence, an independent candidate Nasima Lutfur Rahman claimed that her house came under attack by unidentified miscreants.

The attackers torched a motorbike in front of the house and also looted 100 tolas of gold, she told our Brahmanbaria correspondent.

Nasima held Awami League candidate Advocate Tanvir Bhuiyan responsible for the attack. However, Tanvir denied the allegation saying he was not even aware of the attack.

Following the attack, police detained five people including former Brahmanbaria city unit Chhatra League leader Zohirul Islam Jumman, who is an enlisted criminal of home ministry, Md Selim Uddin, officer-in-charge of Brahmanbaria Sadar Police Station told our correspondent.

In the upazila’s Chandura union, a gang snatched EVM machine at Satgaon Primary School centre. The union parishad chairman and AL leader Shamiul Huque Chowdhury allegedly led the gang, said Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Meher Nigar.

The voting at the centre was on hold until an alternative EVM machine was installed, he said.

In Natore, presence of voters was very low in the morning in most polling centres but the number of voters was increasing as the day progressed, reports our district correspondent.

BNP and several other parties boycotted the election that began on March 10 this year.

The EC primarily decided to hold elections in 23 upazilas in the fifth phase, but election did not take place at three upazilas -- Adarsho Sadar and Sadar Dakkhin of Cumilla, and Bancharampur of Brahmanbaria -- as the chairman, vice-chairman and female vice-chairman were all elected unopposed.

The previous four phases of the polls were held on March 10, 18, 24 and 31.

For the first time in Bangladesh, political parties are nominating aspirants for upazila council, including chairman, vice-chairman and female vice-chairman.