Most of 32 killed in poll violence, victims of circumstance

Stamped ballot papers on ruling Awami League electoral symbol `boat` and another electoral symbol of rebel AL candidate found in the hands of polling officers. The photo was taken at 3:33pm on Thursday at number 37 Konakhola Government Model Primary School centre in Keraniganj by Hasan Raja.
Stamped ballot papers on ruling Awami League electoral symbol `boat` and another electoral symbol of rebel AL candidate found in the hands of polling officers. The photo was taken at 3:33pm on Thursday at number 37 Konakhola Government Model Primary School centre in Keraniganj by Hasan Raja.

Most of the 32 people killed so far in violence relating to the ensuing Union Parishad (UP) elections till 31 March, were innocent village people who became victims of circumstance.

Legal experts say the victims hardly get justice in such killings.

Most of the killed were not involved in clashes, but fell victim to the situation.

The victims of such killings included elderly people, women and children.

Among the Sandwip victims who were killed on the day of the second phase UP election on 31 March, Mohammad Ibrahim was a day labourer while Mohammad Sanaullah was a shop employee.

Vendor Abdus Sattar was killed when he happened to be in the middle of a bomb explosion during clashes between two rival groups in Jessore on 31 March.

On the same day, a youth died of cardiac arrest after he found himself in a melee between two rival groups in Jamalpur.

Day labourer Sirajul Islam was killed as he somehow got in the middle of a clash between the supporters of two UP members on 10 March in Bhola.

Out of three killed in Cox’s Bazar on the day of first phase UP election on 22 March, one was a day labourer while another a fisherman.

An innocent day labourer Monir was killed in police shooting.

Nounai Begum, a 60-year-old woman, was killed in a stampede during clashes in Sirajganj on 22 March. Nounai Begum is the mother of a winning UP member candidate.

Another woman Namesa Begum, 50, was killed during a clash in Manikganj on 31 March UP election.

None of the two women took part in the fracas but they had to lose their lives.

A fourth grader, Shuvo Kazi, who went to the polling station along with his mother, was killed during an internecine clash of ruling Awami League supporters in Keraniganj on the day of second phase of UP election.

A Dhaka University student, Sujan Mridha, was killed in a clash in Madaripur. But it is still unclear whether he was killed in police shooting.

Relatives of Sanaullah, who was killed in Chittagong UP polls violence, wail. Photo: Focus Bangla

Most of the clashes that led to the killing of at least 32 people took place between rival factions of ruling Bangladesh Awami League.

Eight killed in police firing: At least eight people were killed when members of law enforcement agencies opened fire during UP elections.

Of them, five were killed in Mathbaria upazila of Pirojpur in firing by members of law enforcement agencies on 22 March.

Among the killed, Sohel Matabbar and Shahadat Hossain went to their village home to take part in the local government election.

Solaiman was a student of Government Haji Muhammad Mohsin College in Khulna while Kamrul Mridha was an auto-rickshaw driver and Belal was a day labourer.

Belal, Sohel and Solaiman and their families were directly connected with the politics of ruling Awami League and the remaining two were also supporters of AL nominated candidate.

Two more people more were killed in firing by law enforcement agencies in Teknaf and Khaliajuri.

A clash between rival candidates at Sadar upazila’s Nabagram UP killed one Kashem Sikdar, brother of member candidate Chunnu Sikdar.

Golam Abu Kausar, brother of AL nominated chairman candidate Abu Ishaq, was killed in firing by law enforcement agencies in Noakhali’s Khaliajuri.

Moreover, police firing killed Abdul Gafur, brother of AL rival chairman candidate in Teknaf.

A chairman candidate Shantiha Tripura was shot dead in Ruma of Bandarban.

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