Pre-poll clash leaves one dead, 30 hurt in Jhenidah

At least 30 people were injured in pre-union parishad (UP) poll violence at Barofalsi village in Harinakundo upazila of the district yesterday.

One Didar Hossain, 58, of the village, died of a cardiac arrest after seeing the fierce clash.

Of the injured, Tito Mandol, 35, Ahsan Ali, 48, Gamir Ali, 25, Bhutto Mia, 35, Abdur Razzak, 40, Ashik Hossain, 25, Ishaque Ali, 40, Jamil Hossain, 45, and Molar Uddin, 27, were admitted to the upazila health complex while the rest took treatment at different clinics in the town.

Police and locals said tension between Awami League nominated chairman aspirant Bazlur Rahman and AL rebel candidate Fazlur Rahman mounted for the last several days over Falsi UP polls to be held tomorrow.

Yesterday morning, the supporters of Bazlur and Fazlur locked in an altercation over the polls.

At one stage, the men of the two rivals attacked each other with lethal weapons, leaving at least 30 from both sides injured.

At this, Didar died due to a cardiac arrest after seeing the clash, said the officer-in-charge of Harinakundo Police Station.

In Munshiganj, criminals set fire to an election camp of AL rebel chairman candidate of Outshahi union in Tongibari upazila under the district the same day, reports UNB.

OC of Tongibari Police Station Alamgir Hossain said a gang torched the election camp of AL rebel chairman aspirant Jahirul Hoque Liton at Chander Bazar in the upazila around 12:30am.

Another gang set fire to an arch erected in front of the house of AL nominated chairman candidate Sikandar Bapari the same time.

The two parties are blaming each other for the incidents, said the OC.

Away in Manikganj, supporters of AL nominated candidate Abul Kalam Abdur Rauf allegedly attacked the house of independent chairman candidate Obaidul Haque of Dhankora UP on Wednesday night, reports our correspondent.

Obaidul Haque, his wife Asma Akter, father Fazlul Haque, brothers Asadul Haque and Hedayetul Haque, son Andalib Ehsan Plabon, 11, and private car driver Mithu were injured in the attack.

The victim's family alleged that a group of 20/25 AL men including former youth and sports affair secretary of district unit of AL Sultanul Azam Khan Apel, secretary of Sadar upazila unit of AL Afsar Sarker, president of the district unit of Sramik League Babul Sarker and former vice president of district unit of Jubo League Abu Bakar Siddik Tusher swooped on the house around 11:30pm.  

At one stage, they beat up the family members as they declined to work for AL candidate Rauf.

Hearing screams, locals rushed to the spot, caught Afsar, Apel, Tusher and fiver others and gave them a good beating. However, the rest managed to flee the scene.

On information, police went to the spot and rescued the AL men from the angry mob.