Eight injured in pre-polls violence in 3 districts

At least eight people were injured and two campaign offices were vandalised in pre-polls violence in three districts since Tuesday night.

In Chattogram-12, supporters of Awami League nominee allegedly attacked those who were conducting a campaign for independent aspirant Shamsul Haque Chowdhury, also whip of parliament, at Kashiaish of Patiya upazila yesterday afternoon.

Shamsul alleged that eight of his supporters were wounded and six vehicles were vandalised in the attack.

His younger brother Mujibul Haque Nabab said Shamsul along with his supporters went to Kashiaish village to run his polls campaign around 4:30pm. At that time, supporters of AL candidate Motaherul Islam Chowdhury attacked them with sticks.

Contacted, Motaherul said his supporters were not involved in any attacks.

Nezam Uddin, officer-in-charge of Patiya Police Station, said he received a verbal complaint about the attack and sent police personnel to the spot.

An election campaign office of AL candidate Mrinal Kanti Das for Munshiganj-3 was damaged allegedly by followers of independent aspirant Faisal Biplob early yesterday.

The incident happened in Hoglakandi village of Munshiganj Sadar upazila.

Faisal is the immediate past mayor of Munshiganj municipality.

"We completed setting up of the election campaign office on Tuesday night and returned home around 2:10am. In the morning, we found that the office was vandalised. Supporters of the independent candidate did it," alleged Milon Fakir, general secretary of Char Kewar union unit Krishak League and also a supporter of Mrinal.

However, the same union unit AL General Secretary Motahar Gazi, who is a follower of Biplob, denied the allegation.

In Savar, an election enquiry committee yesterday served show-cause notices on three supporters of AL candidate for Dhaka-19 over damaging an election campaign office of an independent candidate and beating up supporters of another candidate.

Senior Assistant Judge Zakir Hossain, who led the enquiry committee, issued the notices.

The three are AL's Savar Sadar union unit General Secretary Mazharul Islam Rubel and two of his accomplices -- Babu and Palash.

The notice mentioned that the trio along with 15-16 others vandalised the campaign office of independent aspirant Talukder Towhid Murad on December 18 night at Bhagalpur.

In Feni, a case was filed against 20 BNP men and 40 unnamed people yesterday in connection with an attack on an electoral procession of AL candidate. The incident took place on Tuesday in the district town, leaving eight AL men injured.

A Chhatra League leader, who was injured in the attack, lodged the case with Feni Sadar Model Police Station, said Mohammad Shahidul Islam Chowdhury, OC of the police station.

In another incident, a Chhatra League leader was arrested early yesterday on charges of threatening an independent candidate in Narsingdi's Monohardi, reports UNB.

The arrestee is Nadim Mahmud, 28, convener of Doulatpur union Chhatra League.

[Our correspondents from Chattogram, Munshiganj and Feni contributed to this report]