75 hurt in pre-election clashes in Patuakhali
At least 75 people were injured in clashes between the supporters of rival chairman candidates in three upazilas of the district on Tuesday night.
Of them, 35 people were injured in Kalaikapur Union under Patuakhali Sadar upazila, 30 in Noumala Union under Baufal upazila, and the rest 10 in Agnaria Union under Dumki upazila.
In Sadar upazila, supporters of two chairman candidates--Wazed Gazi and Tanvir Ahmed--locked in a clash over election campaign at Srikkhali village under Kalaikapur Union at around 8:00pm. At least 35 people from both sides were injured during the clash that continued for half an hour.
Of the injured Abdul Qader Howlader, 50, Hafez Mridha, 85, Nuru Majhi, 62, Malek Mollah, 58, and Nazrul, 30, were admitted to Patuakhali General Hospital while the rest given first aid. Injured Qader was shifted to Barisal Sher-e- Bangla Medical College and Hospital at around 11:00pm as his condition deteriorated.
In Baufal upazila, at least 30 people were injured as supporters of Shahjada Howlader and advocate Kamal Biswas, two chairman candidates in the upcoming election to Noumala Union Parishad, clashed at a village near Bhanga Bridge at around 10:00pm.
Shahjada Howlader claimed that the supporters of advocate Kamal Biswas beat up his younger brother Sourav, 15, and a supporter named Jala Kazi when they were wooing voters in the area at around 7:00pm. “At least 100 Kamal Biswas' men later attacked my election camp and beat up 25 campaigners, leaving them seriously injured,” he said.
Refuting the allegation, chairman aspirant Kamal Biswas, also a local Awami League leader, said the supporters of Shahjada swooped on his election office and assaulted at least seven of his supporters. They also ransacked union AL office, he claimed.
When contacted, the officer-in-charge of Baufal Police Station said they are taking necessary steps against the persons involved in Tuesday night's incident.
Campaigners of chairman candidates SultanAhmed and Golam Mortuza clashed in Agnaria Union under Dumki upazila at around 9:00pm on Tuesday, leaving at least ten people injured
Of the injured, five are undergoing treatment to the upazila health complex. They are Abul Kalam Chowkider, 60, Bashir Uddin, 30, Hanif Chowkider, 35, Syed Rafiq, 26, Delwar, 28, and Zahid, 22. The rest five took first aid at the health complex.
Immediately after the incident, a mobile court, led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Asaduzzaman, went to the spot and arrested five people from there for alleged their involvement in the clash. The arrestees are Jasim Uddin, 30, Safiqul Islam, 25, Masud, 23, Zahidul Islam, 30 and Delwar Hossain, 28. Later, the UNO sentenced them to 15 days' imprisonment.
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