2 deaths, ballot snatching mark polling

The third phase of Upazila Parishad elections has been marked by attacks on polling centres, ballot snatching and two deaths.

Balloting was held from 8am to 4pm on Saturday in 81 Upazilas, but vote in 26 centres in 13 Upazilas was suspended due to violence.

In Sadar Upazila, Bagerhat, a supporter of one of the candidates was killed by assailants. In Naria Upazila, Shariatpur, a polling agent was shot dead by police while he was trying to snatch ballot papers.

Ballot papers were snatched and burnt at Jessore’s Manirampur, Lakshmipur’s Kamalnagar, Shariatpur’s Naria, Chandpur’s Hajiganj and Kachua, Feni’s Dagonbhuiya, Bhola Sadar and Kurigram Sadar.

Police clashed with miscreants as they were trying to seize ballot papers at a centre at Naria in Shariatpur in the afternoon. A polling agent of Awami League-backed chairman candidate AKM Islamail Haque died in police firing during the clash.

Shariatpur Additional Superintendent of Police Ehsan Shah said around 3:30pm some 20-30 young men tried to snatch the ballots from the Bhumkhara Government Primary School centre.

When police fired blank shots to disperse the miscreants, two sides locked in a clash. Later one Ripan Majhi was wounded by a gunshot. He was taken to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

In the morning, a youth was found stabbed to death in Bagerhat. Local unit of Jamaat-e-Islami claimed he was a member of Islami Chhatra Shibir.

Bagerhat Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ali Azam Khan said locals found Manjarul Islam, 20, lying on the ground in Megnitala area and took him to Bagerhat Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Locals said Manjarul was a supporter of Mostain Billah, a local Jamaat leader and a vice-chairman candidate.