Pre-UP poll violence leaves 20 hurt in Mymensingh

At least 20 people were injured in pre-election violence between supporters of two chairman candidates at Sarisha union in Iswarganj upazila of the district yesterday.

Journalists who went to the spot for professional duties were also assaulted, it was alleged.

The election of Sarisha Union Parishad is scheduled to be held on April 23.

Quoting locals, police said unknown people ransacked the Awami League (AL) nominated candidate's election camp at Badhati Bazar and Gangail in the union around 11:00pm Sunday.

AL candidate Shahjahan Bhuiyan, also the incumbent chairman, blamed AL rebel candidate Ekram Hossain Bhuiyan and his men for the incident.

Ekram also blamed Shahjahan and his supporters for attacking two of his election campaign offices around 11:45pm on the same night, which left five of his supporters injured.

On information, police rushed to the spot and tried to normalise the situation, said Md Ruhul Amin, officer-in-charge (OC) of Iswarganj Police Station.

At one stage, defying police barricade, supporters of Shahjahan started heading towards Ekram's house around 2:00pm.

When they reached near Ekram's house, a clash occurred between the two groups, leaving some 20 people from both sides injured. They were treated at different private clinics.

When Mustafizur Rahman, local correspondent of daily Samakal, and Manob Jamin's local correspondent FI Sumon went to the spot, they were allegedly assaulted by Ekram's supporters.

"They  also snatched away our cameras, which we are yet to get back," said Mustafizur. Later, Ekram apolgised for the attack, the journalists said.

Police brought the situation under control after a two-hour long frantic effort, the OC said.

Additional police have been deployed in the area to avert further untoward incident, he added. None was arrested and no case was lodged as of filing this report at 5:00pm.

In another incident, five people, including two children, were injured when the AL-nominated candidate's men allegedly attacked activists of the rebel AL candidate Shamsul Haque Jhontu in Jhatia union of Iswarganj around 11:30pm Sunday.

Of the injured, two children were admitted to Iswarganj Upazila Health Complex, police said.

AL candidate Habibur Rahman denied the allegation, saying, "Jhonto's supporters attacked my election office at Sutia Bazar on Sunday night and tore up posters."