JCD leader killed in Pirojpur

A Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader was killed early yesterday allegedly by members of the ruling Awami League over a feud centring on the upcoming union parishad polls in Pirojpur.

The victim, Shamsul Haque Chhotto, 28, was organising secretary of the Nazirpur upazila unit of pro-BNP student body Chhatra Dal, reports our correspondent.

Shamsul, a nephew of Touhidul Islam, BNP-nominated chairman aspirant of Sheikh Matia Union under the upazila, came under attack at Raghunathpur around 8:30pm on Tuesday while he along with some of his friends were returning home from an election campaign.

With several stab injuries to the lower part of the body, he was rushed to a local hospital where he died four hours later, said police and family members.

Pirojpur Superintendent of Police Walid Hossain said the incident had resulted from a conflict over the polls.

After a case is filed, police will launch a drive to arrest the criminals, he added. 

Talking to The Daily Star, Touhidul said Awami League men killed Shamsul to create panic among voters and obstruct BNP men from campaigning ahead of the polls scheduled for March 22.

BNP Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed, meanwhile, at a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan headquarters yesterday demanded that the killers be brought to book.

However, no case was filed until 8:00pm last night, police said.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission issued a show-cause notice to AL lawmaker of Pabna-2 constituency Azizul Huq Arzu for violating electoral codes of conduct.

There are allegations that the MP was staying in an electoral area under Bera upazila of the district a few days ago and was trying to influence the polls, EC officials said.

As per the electoral rules, ministers and MPs can neither join electoral campaigns nor stay in electoral areas.

The EC is also planning to take action against another AL lawmaker from Barguna for violating electoral rules, an election commissioner said yesterday.

Earlier on Tuesday, it formed a committee to investigate allegations of electoral code violations by candidates and their supporters, following reports in newspapers.

The day before, an AL man was killed and 10 others were injured in a clash between supporters of AL nominated candidate and a rebel candidate at Adabaria union of Boufal upazila in Patuakhali.

  Elections to 732 union parishads will be held on March 22 in the first phase and 650 UPs on March 31 in the second phase. More than 2,800 UPs will go to polls in four other phases until June.