Unabated violence has emerged as the hallmark of the current union parishad (UP) elections, with the death toll crossing 90 in the five phases held so far. The deceased included two persons succumbing to their injuries in Cox’s Bazar on Sunday. The scale of violence has drawn criticism from several quarters, but the Election Commission (EC) has apparently failed to take any significant step to curb it. Following the death of 27 people in pre- and post-poll violence during the first phase on March 22, the EC had claimed to have learnt its lesson. But the so called experience failed to serve any purpose when 13 more were killed and scores injured in the second phase of the UP polls held under political banners for the first time. The scenario was the same in the latter phases, with 12 killed and over 200 injured in the fifth phase. Incidentally, post-poll violence continued to mar the just-concluded fifth phase even as the EC is preparing to hold the final round of voting on June 4. Two more people were killed in post-election violence in Ramu upazila of Cox’s Bazar district on Sunday. The deceased were identified as Nazir Ahmad (30), who hailed from Kahatiyapara in Rashidnagar union, and Manjurul Alam (35), a resident of Gazaria union.
However, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Ramu Police Station, Provash Chandra Dhar, confirmed only one death. “Nazir was killed in election violence. A case has been filed in this regard,” he said yesterday.
In Netrakona upazila, at least 30 people were injured in a post-poll clash between two rival groups in Bolaishimul union on Sunday morning. Police detained two persons—Hydar Ali and Amanullah—from the spot.
In Faridpur, at least 40 people were injured in separate clashes in Bhanga and Nagarkanda upazilas on Sunday.
The spiralling violence has made people apprehensive of more clashes and killings during the sixth phase of polls on June 4.
Adding fuel to the apprehension, at least six people were injured and four motorbikes vandalised in a pre-poll clash between supporters of Awami League and Jatiya Party candidates at Kharibaria of Shailkupa upzila in Jhenidah district on Sunday night. The injured were taken to the Shailkupa upazila health complex.
Shailkupa Police Station OC Mahibul Islam said the supporters of AL candidate Sabder Hossain Mollah and JP candidate Mizanur Rahman Babul locked in a clash during campaigning at the village. Both groups used lethal weapons. Additional police forces were deployed in the area to bring the situation under control, the OC added. Our Noakhali correspondent adds: Supporters of an AL rebel candidate torched his house in Sadar upazila on Sunday.
Local sources said the AL rebel candidate, Khorshed Alam, had suddenly stopped his election campaign and started supporting the party-nominated candidate. This had angered Alam’s supporters, who then set his house on fire. On his part, Alam said he started working for the AL candidate following a request from the party high command. The EC had segmented the polls to the over 4,000 UPs into six phases. Besides unabated violence, the elections so far have been marred by irregularities like overnight stuffing and snatching of ballot boxes, stamping fake votes, and armed bids to gain supremacy. Notwithstanding the violence and irregularities, the EC has claimed after every phase that polling was held in a peaceful and fair manner with the exception of some isolated incidents.