Campaign clashes in seven major towns: One dead, 100 hurt

Motorcades of Fakhrul, other BNP contestants attacked

FE Team | Published: December 11, 2018 23:50:04

Election campaign turned violent Tuesday with one killed, scores injured at political rallies across the country, report AFP, UNB and bdnews24com.
The motorcades of two BNP candidates including its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came under attack in Thakurgaon and Bagura.
Police said clashes broke out in at least seven major towns on just the second day of campaigning, injuring nearly 100 people who turned out to cheer the two major parties contesting the December 30 poll.
The unrest follows a crackdown on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in recent weeks, with hundreds of supporters from the main opposition movement thrown behind bars before campaigning had even begun.
In Thakurgaon, the motorcade Fakhrul came under attack at Danarhat in Sadar upazila on Tuesday noon on his way to the district town from Saidpur Airport, leaving at least 10 people injured.
Fakhrul is contesting the election from two seats -- Thakurgaon-1 and Bogura -- in the 11th parliamentary elections.
BNP district president Taimur Rahman alleged that a group of Awami League leaders and activists made the attack on Fakhrul's motorcade around 12:05 pm, damaging at least eight vehicles of the BNP leader's motorcade.
Besides, he said, their party's 10-15 people were injured during the attack.
However, Fakhrul managed to escape the attack unhurt.
Report from Noakhali added, a Jubo League leader was killed in a pre-polls fight between the supporters of Awami League and BNP over electioneering at Ejbalia in Sadar upazila on Tuesday.
The victim was identified as Mohammad Hanif, a local Jubo League leader.
Talking to UNB, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sudharam Police Station Anwar Hossain said supporters of Awami League's Noakhali-4 election candidate Ekramul Karim Chowdhury and BNP's M Shahjahan locked into the fight over holding their respective rallies, leaving Hanif critically injured.
He was taken to General Hospital where doctors declared him dead.
Supporters of the Awami League and the BNP candidates have clashed at Kabirhat Upazila in Noakhali over simultaneous campaign rally at the same place.
Both sides claimed many of their supporters were injured and blamed each other for the clashes that took place at Zero Point around 11am on Tuesday.
The supporters of Awami League candidate for Noakhali-5, the party's General Secretary Obaidul Quader, and the BNP nominee, Moudud Ahmed, went to the area in processions for the rally.
A running battle erupted when both sides reached the area.
Meanwhile, in Bagura at least twelve people were injured when the motorcade of BNP aspirant Golam Mohammad Siraj for Bagura-5 constituency came under attack in Dhanut upazila headquarters here on Tuesday.
Witnesses said a group of people equipped with sticks swopped on the motorcade BNP leader while he was going to attend election rallies in Nimgacchi and Elangi unions of the upazila around 10:30 am.
The attackers also vandalised around 13-14 motorbikes, four vehicles as well as set fire on four motorbikes during the attack.
Of the injured, six were given first aid while others were taken to a local hospital.
On information, police went to the spot and brought the situation under control, said Additional Superintendent of Sherpur (Circle) Police.
In Kabirhat, a southern town, at least 22 people were hurt as rivals from the Awami League and BNP clashed with sticks and hurled rocks during a campaign stop, police said.
In the central town of Faridganj, police said they fired rubber bullets at an opposition parade after rocks were hurled at them.
"We were compelled to retaliate in self defence," said local police chief Harunur Rashid. At least 26 civilians and four policemen were injured, he added.
At least 25 others were injured in separate clashes elsewhere in the country.
There was also infighting, with rival Awami League factions firing pellet guns at each other in southern Fatikchhari town, injuring seven, local police chief Babul Akhter told AFP.
BNP spokesman Rizvi Ahmed said more than 200 of its supporters were injured in what it called "administration-backed" attacks.
"They are creating the ground for an uneven poll through this violence," he told AFP.