Polls violence: Another AL man murdered in Shailkupa
A supporter of Awami League has been killed and another injured in violence centring the uinion parishad election in Bhatbaria in Sarutia union parishad of Jhenaidah’s Shailkupa.
Rivals stabbed Jasim Uddin, 32, to death in Bhatbaria village around 4:30pm Saturday while leaving Milon Hossain, 35, injured critically.
The victims are the supporters of Mahmudul Hasan, who has been contesting for chairman post from Awami League in the UP election.
Earlier on Friday evening, Haran Ali, 65, another supporter of Mahmudul Hasan, was also killed during a clash with the rivals around 7:00am.
Election to Sarutia union will be held in the fifth phase. Incumbent chairman and general secretary of Awami Leagu’s Sarutia unit Mahmudul Hasan is vying the election with boat symbol.
Awami League rebel candidate Zulfikar Kaisar is contesting the polls with pineapple symbol. Zulfikar Kaisar, a former general secretary of Chatrra League’s Shailkupa union, had been expelled from the post of vice president of Awami League’s Sarutia unit recently.
Locals said Jasim Uddin and Milon Hossain were gossiping outside their homes around 4:30pm on Saturday. At that time, some 7-8 supporters of Zulfikar Kaisar attacked the duo, stabbed them and left them severely injured.
Villagers rushed them to the upazila health complex where Jasim Uddin succumbed to his injuries. Milon underwent treatment there.
Relatives said Jasim Uddin worked at a garment factory in Dhaka. He lived with his wife and his three-year-old child with disability. Recently, he came home on the occasion of the election.
Prior to the afternoon incident, additional inspector of police (operation and crime) of Khulna division Md Nazrul Islam visited in Katlagari village of the union where poll violence left one dead on Friday. He then visited Shailkupa police station and returned to Khulna.
Speaking to newspersons after the visit Md Nazrul Islam said police have been working to ensure a fair election and none of the killers would be spared.
Awami League candidate Mahmudul Hasan alleged rivals are killing his supporters one by one after they became certain they would defeat in the election.
The rivals want to foil the election, he said adding activists and supporters of Awami League are coming under attack regularly and their homes are being looted and destroyed. Mahmudul Hasan demanded justice.
Rebel candidate Zulfikar Kaisar said controversy arose over the elderly man who was killed on Friday. He claimed it was a premeditated act. None of his support was involved in either incident of Friday and Saturday. The person who stabbed the victim was a terrorist. If investigation is launched, motive of the murder would be revealed, he added.
Assistant superintendent of police (Shailkupa circle) Amit Kumar Barman said no case was filed over the Friday’s incident as of Sunday evening. Police detained one person in Saturday’s incident, he added.
Election to 14 union parishads of Jhenaidah’s Shailkupa is scheduled to be held on 5 January.