Violence mars polls campaign in three districts

With a little over a week left to go to the 12th parliamentary election, clashes and violence were reported from Naogaon, Gopalganj and Jhenaidah districts during polls campaign.

In the Naogaon-6 (Raninagar-Atrai) constituency, miscreants stabbed a campaigner of an independent candidate in Sahebganj rail station area of Atrai upazila around 10:00am on Saturday.

The injured was Chowdhury Golam Mostafa, 58, who is Awami League’s Atrai upazila unit vice-president, and election coordinator of the independent candidate and Awami League’s Naogaon district unit relief and social welfare secretary Omar Faruk.

He was admitted to Atrai Upazila Health Complex.

Locals detained one of the attackers, Shamim Hossain alias Sani, 28, and handed over him to the police.

Atrai police station officer-in-charge confirmed the incident.

Independent candidate Omar Faruk blamed the activists of the Awami League-nominated candidate and incumbent lawmaker Anwar Hossain for the attack. Anwar Hossain, however, denied the allegation.

In the Gopalganj-1 (Muksudpur-Kashiani) constituency, at least 20 people including women were injured in a clash between the supporters of the Awami League-nominated candidate and an independent candidate in Shuyashur village in Muksudpur on Friday.

Eight houses and three shops were also vandalised and looted during the clash.

The injured were admitted to Faridpur Medical College and various local clinics.

Awami League advisory council member and five-time MP Faruk Khan is contesting the next election on party ticket while Md Kabir Mia, who resigned as the upazila parishand chairman recently, is vying the polls on eagle symbol independently. The other candidates are; Sheikh Md Abdullah (mango symbol) of National People's Party, Shahidul Islam (plough) of the Jatiya Party and Zahidul Islam of Trinamool BNP (gold fibre).

Following the incident, certain Lakia Begum lodged a complaint with Muksudpur police station alleging that a group of supporters of boat led by local Mochna union parishad chairman Imdad Molla, his two brother Monir Molla and Enamul Mollah attacked the supporters of the independent candidate leaving 20 people including women injured.

Muksudpur police station-officer-in-charge Md Ashraful Alam confirmed the incident.

The police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control and also took UP chairman Imdad Mollah to custody for quizzing. The police will take legal action against those who are responsible, he added.

In the Jhenaidah-2 (Sadar-Harinakunda), Naser Shahriar Zahedi, who is contesting the upcoming election independently on eagle symbol, held a press conference at the Jhenaidah municipality auditorium on Friday demanding action over the attacks on his supporters.

He said more than his 50 activists-supporters have come under attack by the rivals so far since the election commission allocated electoral symbol on 18 December.

Several injured activists were also present at the press conference. One of his supporters, Alauddin said boat supporters hacked him as he is campaigning for eagle. Another injured supporter, Raja Biswas said boat supporters attacked them at a village market and left them injured.

Naser Shahriar said he has been in the politics of Awami League for 15 years. He sought the party ticket. As the prime minister and Awami League president Sheikh Hasina did not nominate him, he is contesting the upcoming election independently.

Prothom Alo's Staff Correspondent in Jhenaidah, Correspondents in Gopalganj and Naogaon contributed to this report.