United News of Bangladesh

Traffic on the busy Dhaka-Chattogram highway came to a standstill for over half an hour Thursday morning after supporters of two rival union parishad (UP) member candidates blocked the high-speed corridor following a clash. Summon Banik, inspector at Sitakunda police station, said the two groups clashed with each other in Sonaichhari union of Sitakunda upazila in Chattogram around 5am, hours before voting began for the second phase of UP polls in Bangladesh. The members of the two groups were supporters of rival UP member candidates, Mahbub and Forkan, respectively. "Both tried to occupy the Ghoramara Government Primary School polling station, leading to the clash," the OC said. Read: One dead in Narsingdi as UP polls kick off On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the two member candidates to the police station for questioning. Cops also seized bamboo sticks and 10 petrol bombs from outside the polling station. Voting in nine unions of Sitakunda upazila, 12 unions in Fatikchhari upazila and 16 unions in Mirsarai upazila of Chattogram is currently underway.