No let-up in violence

2 killed a day before 717 UPs go to polls today

The fifth phase of polls in 717 union parishads is going to be held today, but the Election Commission (EC) failed to contain violence a day before the elections. Two persons were killed and several others injured yesterday (Friday). Although law enforcers and magistrates have been deployed in election-bound areas, violence claimed two lives and several others were injured in Narail, Kushtia, Jhenidah and Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka. Violence has become common in UP elections being held under the political banner for the first time. The last four phases witnessed over 80 deaths and injuries to several hundred. Violence on such a large scale was not seen during past UP polls.
The EC has failed to remove the fear of violence and irregularities from the minds of voters, as it could not do anything plausible to offer peaceful polls. Each time before elections the commission says it is doing whatever is possible to hold peaceful polls, but there is large-scale violence before and after elections. The last four phases of UP elections saw the use of arms by party activists to gain supremacy at the polling centres to cast votes in favour of their candidates. False votes were cast as law enforcers stood watching; there was stuffing of ballot papers overnight and snatching of ballot papers. Even presiding officers were caught helping miscreants cast false votes. However, EC sources said law enforcers have been directed to apply their highest power to curb violence and irregularities in elections. Despite repeated assurances of the EC, two persons were killed and several others injured, some being hit by bullets, in Narail, Kushtia, Jhenidah and Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka yesterday.  In Narail, a man, identified as Kashem of Bishnupur village in Hamidpur union of Kalia upazila, was stabbed on Wednesday night. He died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday. He was injured during clashes between rival groups at Hamidpur.  At least 10 people sustained bullet injuries in a clash between supporters of rival candidates in Kalia upazila of the district yesterday. Local sources said supporters of the Awami League (AL) candidate, Harun Or Rashid, and the AL rebel candidate, Moni Mia, were locked in a clash at the Purulia intersection. Both groups opened fire, leaving the 10 injured. The injured were admitted to Narail Sadar Hospital. Later, two of them –Jakir Sheikh and Humayun — were shifted to Khulna Medical College Hospital as their condition deteriorated.
In Kushtia, a restaurant owner was killed allegedly by his rivals. The victim, Shaheen Ali, 30, was a supporter of the AL-backed winning candidate, Motaleb Hossain. Police and local sources said unidentified persons stabbed him indiscriminately at Joarddarpara in Alchara union of Sadar upazila. He was returning home from his restaurant at midnight on Thursday. Locals admitted him to the Kushtia hospital in a critical condition and he died early yesterday.
Family sources said Shaheen might have been killed due to a conflict between supporters of Motaleb Hossain and independent candidate Siddiqur Rahman over the Alchara union parishad election.
 The officer-in-charge of Kushtia Model Police Station, Shahabuddin Chowdhury, however, said Shaheen was involved in criminal activities in the area. No arrests have been made till now.
 In Jhenidah, at least 12 people were injured and more than 20 houses vandalised and looted at Abaipur union of Shailkupa upazila on Thursday midnight and yesterday morning. Local sources said supporters of the AL-backed candidate, Muktar Ahmed Mridha, and independent candidate Helal Uddin Biswas clashed on Thursday night and vandalised and looted the houses.
 In Savar, miscreants burnt down two election camps of the AL candidate at Vakurta union yesterday morning.
 The fifth phase of the UP polls is going to be held in such a situation. Polling will begin at 8am and continue till 4pm without any break at 6484 poling centres in 717 UPs in 93 upazilas of 45 districts.  A total of 3,254 chairman candidates are in the fray. Of them, 1,727 are nominated by political parties and 1,527  will contest as independents.  The Awami League has 726 candidates, BNP 629 and the Jatiya Party 177. The BNP does not have chairman candidates in 91 UPs. In all, 42 chairman candidates have been elected unopposed on the AL ticket.
 Law enforcers, comprising the police, RAB, BGB, Armed Police Battalion and Ansar, will be deployed in poll-bound areas to maintain law and order. There will be 20 policemen and Ansar under a police officer at each polling centre.
 In each upazila, three executive magistrates and a judicial magistrate have been deployed for rapid trial of those violating the electoral code. The law enforcers and magistrates will be on duty on the polling day and the next day.  The EC said mobile and striking force of the police and RAB would be present outside the centres.  The commission urged the political parties, their supporters and candidates to cooperate with the EC to hold peaceful elections.  The final phase of the six-phase UP elections will be held on June 4.

No let-up in violence

2 killed a day before 717 UPs go to polls today

The fifth phase of polls in 717 union parishads is going to be held today, but the Election Commission (EC) failed to contain violence a day before the elections. Two persons were killed and several others injured yesterday (Friday). Although law enforcers and magistrates have been deployed in election-bound areas, violence claimed two lives and several others were injured in Narail, Kushtia, Jhenidah and Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka. Violence has become common in UP elections being held under the political banner for the first time. The last four phases witnessed over 80 deaths and injuries to several hundred. Violence on such a large scale was not seen during past UP polls. The EC has failed to remove the fear of violence and irregularities from the minds of voters, as it could not do anything plausible to offer peaceful polls. Each time before elections the commission says it is doing whatever is possible to hold peaceful polls, but there is large-scale violence before and after elections. The last four phases of UP elections saw the use of arms by party activists to gain supremacy at the polling centres to cast votes in favour of their candidates. False votes were cast as law enforcers stood watching; there was stuffing of ballot papers overnight and snatching of ballot papers. Even presiding officers were caught helping miscreants cast false votes. However, EC sources said law enforcers have been directed to apply their highest power to curb violence and irregularities in elections. Despite repeated assurances of the EC, two persons were killed and several others injured, some being hit by bullets, in Narail, Kushtia, Jhenidah and Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka yesterday. In Narail, a man, identified as Kashem of Bishnupur village in Hamidpur union of Kalia upazila, was stabbed on Wednesday night. He died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday. He was injured during clashes between rival groups at Hamidpur. At least 10 people sustained bullet injuries in a clash between supporters of rival candidates in Kalia upazila of the district yesterday. Local sources said supporters of the Awami League (AL) candidate, Harun Or Rashid, and the AL rebel candidate, Moni Mia, were locked in a clash at the Purulia intersection. Both groups opened fire, leaving the 10 injured. The injured were admitted to Narail Sadar Hospital. Later, two of them Jakir Sheikh and Humayun were shifted to Khulna Medical College Hospital as their condition deteriorated. In Kushtia, a restaurant owner was killed allegedly by his rivals. The victim, Shaheen Ali, 30, was a supporter of the AL-backed winning candidate, Motaleb Hossain. Police and local sources said unidentified persons stabbed him indiscriminately at Joarddarpara in Alchara union of Sadar upazila. He was returning home from his restaurant at midnight on Thursday. Locals admitted him to the Kushtia hospital in a critical condition and he died early yesterday. Family sources said Shaheen might have been killed due to a conflict between supporters of Motaleb Hossain and independent candidate Siddiqur Rahman over the Alchara union parishad election. The officer-in-charge of Kushtia Model Police Station, Shahabuddin Chowdhury, however, said Shaheen was involved in criminal activities in the area. No arrests have been made till now. In Jhenidah, at least 12 people were injured and more than 20 houses vandalised and looted at Abaipur union of Shailkupa upazila on Thursday midnight and yesterday morning. Local sources said supporters of the AL-backed candidate, Muktar Ahmed Mridha, and independent candidate Helal Uddin Biswas clashed on Thursday night and vandalised and looted the houses. In Savar, miscreants burnt down two election camps of the AL candidate at Vakurta union yesterday morning. The fifth phase of the UP polls is going to be held in such a situation. Polling will begin at 8am and continue till 4pm without any break at 6484 poling centres in 717 UPs in 93 upazilas of 45 districts. A total of 3,254 chairman candidates are in the fray. Of them, 1,727 are nominated by political parties and 1,527 will contest as independents. The Awami League has 726 candidates, BNP 629 and the Jatiya Party 177. The BNP does not have chairman candidates in 91 UPs. In all, 42 chairman candidates have been elected unopposed on the AL ticket. Law enforcers, comprising the police, RAB, BGB, Armed Police Battalion and Ansar, will be deployed in poll-bound areas to maintain law and order. There will be 20 policemen and Ansar under a police officer at each polling centre. In each upazila, three executive magistrates and a judicial magistrate have been deployed for rapid trial of those violating the electoral code. The law enforcers and magistrates will be on duty on the polling day and the next day. The EC said mobile and striking force of the police and RAB would be present outside the centres. The commission urged the political parties, their supporters and candidates to cooperate with the EC to hold peaceful elections. The final phase of the six-phase UP elections will be held on June 4.