Chairman-elect stabbed, 11 hurt in post-poll violence

At least 12 people, including a newly elected union parishad (UP) chairman and five policemen, were injured in post-polls violence in Jessore and Gaibandha districts on Tuesday.

Sohrab Hossain, newly elected nominated chairman of Sharsha Union Parishad in Jessore, sustained stab injuries in post-polls clash between two rival groups of Awami League.

Sohrab is also the general secretary of Sharsha upazila unit of Jubo League, reports our Benapole correspondent.

Two business firms -- Nabharan Printing Press and Afil Bricks -- owned by Sheikh Afil Uddin, lawmaker from Jessore-1 constituency, were also vandalised during the incident.

None was arrested in connection with the incident, said Ilias Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station.

Election in the union parishad was held on June 4.

In Gaibandha, at least 11 people, including five policemen, were injured when supporters of two defeated candidates of Gajaria UP election allegedly swooped on them at Bhajondanga in Fulchhari upazila of the district the same day, reports our correspondent.

The injured include OC (Investigation) Jamaluddin and constables Bipu Ahmed, Anwarul Huq, Noor Alam, and Javed Mia of Fulchhari Police Station, and newly elected ward member Gani Mia and his elder brother Abdur Rahman.

The policemen were admitted to the upazila health complex while Gani and Abdur to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

Police said after the UP election on June 4, supporters of defeated member candidate Belal Hossain and chairman aspirant Yunus Ali vandalised the houses of Gani Mia and his supporters.

Gani Mia later filed a case with the police station against the rival groups in connection with the incident.

Around 8:00pm on Tuesday, a police team led by OC Jamaluddin along with the plaintiff reached the spot for investigation.

At this, an altercation took place between the supporters of Gani Mia and Belal Hossain.

At one stage, supporters of Belal Hossain and Yunus Ali swooped on the policemen, leaving at least 11 people injured.

The law enforcers fired 28 gunshots to disperse the agitated crowd, Khairul Baser, officer-in-charge of the police station, said, adding that police yesterday filed a case against at least 300 people in this connection.

They are raiding different areas to arrest the accused, he said.