At least six people were killed and over 100 others injured as the 2nd phase of union parishad (UP) elections ended on Thursday afternoon amid sporadic violence and irregularities.
Violence was reported from different parts of the country, including Narsingdi, Cox’s Bazar, Cumilla and Chattogram.
Three people had been killed and 30 others injured at Bashgari union in Raipura upazila of Narsingdi district, hours before the voting began.
The deceased were identified as Salauddin, 30, son of Hekim Mia, Jahangir, 26, son of Abdul Haque Mia and Dulala, 45, son of Hazi Siraj of Bashgari village in the upazila.
The deceased were supporters of Ashraful Islam, an Awami League-backed candidate for the post of chairman in Bashgari UP.
Satyajit Kumar Ghosh, assistant superintendent of police (Raipura circle), said supporters of Ashraful and Ratul Hasan Zakir, an independent candidate, attacked each other in front of Bashgari Union Parishad complex around 6 am, two hours before the beginning of the elections.
The two groups fired gunshots and attacked each other with teta (a type of fish spearing), leaving three people dead and 30 others injured, he said.
The injured were taken to Brahmanbaria and Narsingdi Sadar hospitals.
On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
Read: UP polls violence leaves one dead in Cumilla
UNB Cox’s Bazar correspondent reports: A man was shot dead and six others were injured in a clash between the supporters of two member candidates at Khurushkul in Sadar upazila.
The deceased was identified as Akteruzzaman Putu, 35, younger brother of Sheikh Kamal, a member candidate of Khurushkul No 1 ward.
Commander of Crime Prevention Specialized Company (CCPS) Major Mehedi Hasan of Rab-15 said the supporters of member candidate Babul were trying to stuff ballots during voting at Khurushkul Tetoia Government Primary School centre. But the supporters of Akterruzaman obstructed them, triggering the clash.
In Cumilla, a clash broke out around 12pm between the supporters of Awami League-backed chairman candidate Zakir Hossain and independent candidate Harun-ur-Rashid over establishing dominance at Amirabad Primary School centre of Manikar union in Meghna upazila, leaving 21 people injured.