More polling centres set on fire

Opposition activists have continued to attack polling centres across Bangladesh as the nation nears voting day.

Schools, used as polling centres, across the country are the main targets of these arson attacks.

Local police said these acts of arson appeared to be a clear attempt to foil the 10th parliament elections.

Scores of polling centres, again mostly set up in schools, were set on fire on Friday in Chittagong, Feni, Brahmanbaria, Nilphamari and Dinajpur.

Rajshahi

Four polling centres in Charaghat Upazila have been burnt down.

Charaghat Police Station OC Khondokar Golam Mortuja said that miscreants torched the Govt Pilot High School at Sarda around 11pm on Friday and the Kalabipara Model High School just after midnight.

The Shaluya Degree College and Sharda High School at Balibaya was also set on fire late on Friday night.

OC Mortuja suspects these were aimed at foiling Sunday's election as all of them were meant to be used as voting centres.

A teacher of Kalabipara Model High School, asking not to be named, told bdnews24.com that BNP-Jamaat activists set fire to 4 rooms of the school by using gunpowder.

He said that the rooms were totally burnt down as fire-fighters failed to arrive despite intimation.

Meanwhile, miscreants torched a bus and a building in the Rajshahi metropolitan area on Friday.

Rajpara Police Station OC ABM Rezaul Karim said that the office of social organisation 'Chetona-Ekattor' was vandalised and then set on fire.

A bus parked nearby was also torched, but police doused the flames.
Pirojpur

An abandoned building beside a school at the district's Motthbaria Upazila was set to fire.

Motthbaria Police Station OC said the miscreants torched the 'abandoned building' of Debipur High School beside the Debipur Primary School. The locals had put out the fire.

Brahmanbaria

The Khudra Brahmanbaria Govt Primary School was also attacked and one of its buildings was torched early on Saturday.

Brahmanbaria Sadar Police Station OC Md Abdur Rob said that some unidentified people set the building on fire, but locals put it out.

Lakshmipur

A total of 11 polling stations in Ramganj and Kamalnagar Upazilas, most of them schools, have been set on fire.

Locals said that the furniture of the schools was gutted.

Ramganj Police Station OC Rezaul Karim Bhuiyan confirmed to bdnews24.com of two schools being set on fire.

"We have heard of similar incidents from other voting centres," he said.

Kamalnagar Upazila administration chief (UNO) Abdul Awal said that 5 voting stations have been torched sinceFriday night.

Sylhet

Two polling stations in Jointapur Upazila were burnt down in the wee hours of Saturday.

Jointapur Police Station OC Harunur Rashid Chowdhury said that the affected schools were Jointapur Govt High School and Tubang Govt Primary School.

The principal of Jointapur Govt High School Anil Krishan Majumder said that a warehouse of the school caught fire after midnight and some old furniture were burnt down.

Meanwhile, the doors, windows and some furniture were gutted at the Tubang Govt Primary School, said the Headmqaster Abdur Rahim.

Jhenaidah

The Lalit Bhuiyan Govt Primary School at Shoilakupa Upazila was set on fire by petrol.

Shoilakupa Police Station OC MA Bari said that furniture in two rooms of the school were burnt.

File Photo

Meanwhile, Jhenaidah Sadar Police Station OC Iqbal Bahar Chowdhury said miscreants tried to set fire to the Bishoykhali Primary School, but only minor damages were reported.

Natore

The Khidrobaria High School at Shingra Upazila was set on fire by petrol.

Principal Rafiqul Islam said two rooms of the school have been gutted in the fire.

"We dont know who did this. This area is an Awami League stronghold, so we were not worried about the voting on Sunday," he said.

Sirajganj

Two polling centres at Belkuchi Upazila have been set on fire.

Belkuchi's Returning Officer and Upazila administration chief (UNO) said that local doused the fire at Deluya Govt Primary School and Charnabipur Kandapara Govt Primary School.

The Opposition had called for a 48-hour strike starting from Saturday in the rundown to the polls and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia called upon supporters to foil what she describes as "farcical one-side polls'.

BNP leader Osman Faruk has threatened a 'civil war' if the government does not back off from the polls.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina says the polls were a 'constitutional necessity' which the Opposition has boycotted.

But Awami League leaders like Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said that talks for a consensus on the dispensation to hold future polls will continue between the ruling and Opposition parties -- and if a consensus is achieved, fresh polls can be held soon after.

Though the army has been deployed across the country along with thousands of para-military troops and policemen, to ensure peaceful polling, the Opposition strike and the targeting of polling centres may scare voters from staying away.

Satkhira

Godaghat Government Primary School at Shibpur Union of Sadar Upazila was set on fire in broad daylight on Saturday.

The doorways and windows were charred after assailants set fire to the schoolhouse at around 11:30am, said Assistant Superintendant of Police (Sadar Circle) Moniruzzaman. Members of the Joint forces had rushed to the site and doused the fire.

Local Islami Chhatra Shibir activists were behind the attack, police said. The Joint forces are conducting raids in the area following the arson.

Pabna

The voting centre at Samanyapara Government Primary School in Sathia Upazila also came under an arson attack.

The school’s principal Afsar Uddin told bdnews24.com that assailants poured petrol through the school’s windows on Saturday morning and set ablaze two rooms. Villagers quickly doused the fire but the bench and chairs have been gutted.

Sathia Police Station OC Abdul Ahad said police had been deployed at the site and investigations were on.

Bogra

Two voting centres in Gabtoli and Nondigram Upazila were torched by miscreants.

District Election Officer Yunus Ali said Gabtoli’s Moddhokatuli Government Primary Schools in Bogra-7 and Dhirail Government Primary School in Bogra-4 constituencies at Nandigram were set on fire.

Police had gone to the arson sites, relevant officials said.

Netrokona

Three voting centres in two Upazilas in Netrokona were attacked by assailants.

Police said the centres were Monang Government Primary School and Chondon Kandi Government Primary School at Sadar Upazila and Koilati Janata High School in Kolmakanda Upazila.

Netrokona Model Station OC MA Kausar said the arson attacks could not do much damage because the villagers acted promptly to douse the flames.

Kolmakanda Police OC Bozlur Rahman confirmed the arson attack at one centre and said legal actions were being taken.

Patuakhali

Two polling centres were set on fire at sadar Upazila.

Moddhya Nondipara Government School at Madarbunia Union and Doshmina Upazila’s Dashpara Government Primary School were the voting centres that were attacked.

Nondipara School Principal Md Ayub Ali told bdnews24.com that the doors of four school rooms in the building have been burnt. Assailants also torched a haystack kept near the school.

Sadar Station OC Md Monirul Islam told bdnews24.com that doors of the Nandipara Voting Centres were partly damaged in the fire.

Doshmina Station OC Md Nazmul Alam said the roof of Dashpara School was burnt.

Gaibandha

Armed miscreants have torched a polling centre at Gaibandha's Sadullahpur Upazila and took away election materials from Tajnagar Government Primary School holding the Presiding Officer hostage at Saturday afternoon.

Sadullapur Upazila Executive Officer Syed Forhad Hossain has confirmed the attacks and said they would take necessary steps considering the situation.

At noon suspected Jamaat-Shibir activists had attacked a vehicle carrying polling materials, ballots papers and ballot boxes.

Assailants set fire to four more voting centres in two upazilas.

They are Tindoho Government Primary School of Sadar Upazila, Palashbari Upazila’s Sultanganj Primary School, Mohodipur Union’s Maheshpur Government Primary School, Bisramgachi Government Primary School and Palashbari Bangabandhu High School.

Ramchandrapur Union Council Chairman Rafiqul Islam said the doors and windows of Tindoho School were gutted.

SI Touhidul Islam of Palashbari Police Station said Maheshpur School, Bisramgachi School and Sultanganj Primary School were also damaged.

Manikganj

Two polling centres at Shibaloy Upazila were set on fire.

Police said the affected schools are Nihalpur Government and Poyla Government Primary School.

Shibaloy Station OC Abul Kalam Azad said miscreants poured petrol and torched Nihalpur School. The school’s boundary wall was gutted in the fire.

He said two separate cases were being prepared over the incident.

Tangail

Four voting centres in Gopalpur and Sadar Upazila were set on fire.

Tangail Model Station OC Md Nazrul Islam said the doors at Dheli Korotia Primary School in Korotia Union, HM Institution School and College were gutted.

Gopalpur Station OC Jashimuddin Sarkar said the attackers torched the doors of the Bhadurir Char Primary School and Mahmudpur High School but were unable to cause major damage.

Dinajpur

Miscreants set ablaze three polling stations at the district’s Sadar Upazila.

Kotwali Station OC Altaf Hossain said the arsonists fled after torching Tofiruddin Memorial School, Chadganj High School and Boroil Government Primary School.

Borail School Principal Rowshan Ara Begum told bdnews24.com that school’s furniture, new textbooks, along with other materials, were gutted in the fire. The assailants broke the windows before setting the school building on fire.

Borguna

Four polling centres were attacked by the miscreants while police foiled attempts to torch two other centres.

District Superintendant of Police Shyamol Kumar Nath has confirmed the attacks.

Sadar Station OC Azam Khan Faruki said chairs and benches of Pathakata Government School were damaged. Purbo Lemua Government Primary School was partly damaged. A door of a Lotabaria School room was also gutted.
Amtoli Station OC Shamsul Haque said a tin shack of Moddho Arpangashia Reg Primary Schools was torched on Friday night.

Rangpur

Four polling centres in the two parliamentary seats in Rangpur were set on fire. The homes of Awami League leaders also came under arson attacks.

Sounds of bomb blasts were heard at various parts of the city throughout Friday night.

Assailants torched Pirpur Government Primary School, Mulatol Government Primary School and Mohindra Government Primary School at Rangpur-3 (Sadar) and Potnitola High School at Rangpur-6 (Pirganj), District Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner Farid Ahammad told bdnews24.com.

The arson couldn’t do much damage because the night guards quickly came to the scene and extinguished the fire.

Pirgacha Station OC Mokbul Hossain said the home of Kalyan Chandra Roy, Awami League General Secretary at Kandi Union, was attacked at around 3am. People of the village quickly brought the fire under control but a large haystack was reduced to ashes.

Feni

Three voting centres were torched at Sonagaji Upazila while another five were set on fire at Dagonbhuiyan the night before.

Police said the fires caused severe damage to these structures.

Two out of the three centres have sustained major damages in the attacks. Efforts were on to hold election at convenient places near these two centres.

Sonagazi Model Station OC Subhash Chandra Pal said Upazila Chardarbesh Union’s Senerkhil Health Centre and Bagishpur Government Primary School were torched.

Annadacharan Government School at Nababpur Union was also attacked. The arsons caused severe damages to the school structures, said OC Pal.

Two night guards have been detained over the arson incidents, he added.

Returning Officer and Deputy Commissioner Md Humayun Kabir Khondoker said polls would be held at these very centres despite the damage.

Faridpur

Unknown miscreants have used petrol bombs to torch Charbhodrason Upazila’s Charharirampur High School, a polling station for Faridpur-4 constituency.

UNO Mahbub Hasan Shahin confirmed the news of the arson saying one of the classrooms was highly damaged but arrangements for polls could still be made in the other rooms.

Jessore

Assailants have torched a polling centre at Jessore’s Bagharpara.

Upazila’s Koyelkhali Primary School came under arson attack. Policemen were present nearby and they quickly doused the fire.

Bagharpara OC GG Biswas said miscreants tried to burn down Koyelkhali Primary School. The police members present at the site doused the fire and chased away the arsonists.

Rumours of more voting centres being set on fire had spread, OC Biswas said.