At least 32 people were injured in several clashes during municipal elections in five municipalities in Barguna, Kishoreganj Sherpur, Chittagong and Pirojpur districts on Wednesday, reports news agency UNB.
In Barguna, miscreants stormed Gagan Memorial High School polling centre around 9:15am and carried out vandalism, said Manjurul Alam, presiding officer of the centre.
The attackers also snatched ballot papers from booths.
At one stage, they locked into altercation with the on-duty members of the law enforcement agency, and swooped on the people present there, leaving 25 injured, including polling officer.
Later, members of joint force fired blank shots to resist the attackers.
The incident prompted the authorities to suspend voting at the centre.
In Kishoreganj, three people were injured in a clash between the activists of Awami League and BNP over ‘stamping seal’ on ballot papers in Bajitpur municipality in Kishoreganj on Tuesday night, the news agency reports.
Witnesses said supporters of BNP and Awami League rebel candidates encircled the Bangabandhu Govt Primary School centre in Nitarkandi area around 9:00pm following a remour that AL men were putting seal on the ‘Boat’ symbol.
At one stage, the both groups locked into a clash, leaving three people-Khalil, Jalil and Abul-injured.
Later, police brought the situation under control.
Locals also caught two people along with firearms and handed them over to police.
Officer-in-charge of Bajitpur police station Mostafizur Rahman denied the allegation of putting seal on ballot papers ahead of the municipality polls.
In Sherpur, two people were injured in a clash between the supporters of two councillor candidates in APTI High School polling centre of Sreebordi municipality area.
They were admitted to the upazila health complex.
Officer-in-charge of Sreebordi police station S Alam confirmed the incident.
In Chittagong, BNP-backed mayoral candidate Abul Mansur of Sitakunda municipality was injured in an attack allegedly by the ruling party men while he went to visit Pankhichila Primary School polling station around 10:00am.
Later, he was admitted to Sitakunda Upazila Health Complex.
Upazila Nribahi Officer Nazmul Islam confirmed this.
In Pirojpur, BNP-backed mayoral candidate Shafiqul Islam Prodhan’s agent Sabbir Rahman was injured in an attack by some miscreants while he was going to a polling station of Shawrupkathi municipality.
Harun-or-Rashid, general secretary of the district unit of BNP, alleged that some activists of AL-blessed mayoral candidate Golam Kabir beat up Sabbir around 7:30am.