Eight people including three women injured in violence

Eight people, including three women, were injured on Tuesday afternoon in a clash at Pirojpur Sadar upazila as a sequel to the violence that took place there after the union parishad (UP) polls on March 22.

The injured are Abdur Rahman, Ali Mollah, Nurjahan Begum, Yanur Mollah, Majeda Begum, Sahida Begum of Uttar Porgola village, and Liton Saha and his father Ganesh Saha of Baghajora village in the upazila.

Critically injured Abdur Rahman, Ali Mollah and Yanur Mollah were sent to Khulna Medical College Hospital the same night.

Ganesh said they supported Awami League (AL) nominated chairman candidate Hanif Khan in the first phase of the UP polls held on March 22. Hanif Khan was the victor.

AL rebel chairman candidate Shamsur Rahman Sarder's men became very angry with Ganesh and his men as they did not support Shamsur.

Ganesh said he and his son Liton went to the local Nikarir Haat in the afternoon. On seeing Liton, some youths led by Masum, brother of Mamun Howlader, beat him with iron pipes and hacked him with a sharp weapon. Mamun is member of Ward No 7 and a supporter of defeated candidate Shamsur Rahman.

"The attackers asked why we voted for the boat symbol. When I went to save my son, they beat me up too," Ganesh said.

Rustom Ali Howlader, cousin of injured Abdur Rahman, said when they came to know that Mamun's men had attacked his party men, they rushed to save them. At that time over 20 men with iron pipes and sharp weapons attacked them.

The attackers vandalised Ashraf's house and looted it. They also vandalised Hosen Ali Howlader's shop in the haat, alleged the victims. As relatives of the attacked people came to save them, the attackers beat them up too.

The injured were taken to Pirojpur Sadar Hospital.

Denying the allegation against him, Mamun said Yanur Mollah, one of the injured, is a BNP man, and he would make bad remarks about the AL men.

"On Tuesday, he hit one of my men with a sharp weapon. So, AL men beat him up," he claimed.

Md Masuduz Zaman, officer-in-charge of Pirojpur Sadar Police Station, said no case was filed over this incident. He also said the law and order situation was under control at the village.