Munshiganj by-polls: Three shot in clash between AL and rebel candidates

Three people were shot and injured as supporters of ruling Awami League candidate and party rebel clashed during Hosendi Union Parishad by-polls in Munshiganj yesterday.

The injured — Sohel Rana (36), Saiful Sarder (45) and Faruk (32) — are supporters of AL rebel candidate Mahbub Mia, local sources said.

Ilias Hossain Molla, a UP member, said the supporters of AL candidate Monirul Haque Mithu and Mahbub Mia had an altercation near Ismanir Char No-2 Primary School area around 9:00am.

Three people were injured as Mithu’s supporters fired some shots, said Ilias, also a witness.

The injured were transferred from Gozaria Upazila Health Complex to Dhaka, said its doctor Kanti Rani Biswas.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ziaul Islam Chowdhury said, “We heard about the incident.”

Gozaria Police Station Officer-in-Charge Molla Saheb Ali said they suffered bullet injuries, fired from a shotgun. “No cases have been filed yet,” he added.

In Kushtia, the by-election to Khoksa Upazila Parishad marked a clash between the ruling AL and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) supporters.

As soon as voting started at 8:00am, the fight broke out at Kadirpur Government Primary School centre between the followers of AL-nominated candidate Babul Akhter and JSD leader Motahar Hossain Khokon.

An altercation between the polling agents of the parties led to the clash, said sources.

However, the voting resumed shortly after the situation was brought under control, said Khoksa Police Station OC Syed Ashikur Rahman.

Meanwhile, Abdul Awal Kanak Khan, younger brother of Khoksa Upazila Chhatra League president Shimul Ahmed Khan, suffered bullet wounds during a clash at Mashilia village in the upazila, the OC added.

Shimul and his brother are supporters of JSD candidate Motahar, local sources said.

Elections to seven upazila parishads, four municipalities, 19 union parishads, and different positions to 58 union parishads were held yesterday. There were also by-polls to upazila and union parishads at several places.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal and other election commissioners monitored the elections through CCTV cameras from EC office in Dhaka.

The CEC said all the elections were held in a free and fair manner.

Habibul said, “We haven’t seen any violence, chaos or vote rigging. There have been no complaints as well.”

“We didn’t find any disturbance in our polling stations and polling areas. A lot of people voted in an orderly manner… That’s a good sign,” he said.

Asked about the Munshiganj firing, Habibul said the incident took place far away from the polling centre, and they do not know what really happened there.

thedailystar

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