13 polling centres set on fire in nine districts in Bangladesh on Friday night

Arson attacks have been reported at 13 polling centres in nine districts since Friday night.

Fires were reported in Sunamganj, Habiganj, Tangail, Shariatpur, Chattogram, Gazipur, Mymensingh, Khulna and Barguna.

The 12th national parliamentary election will be held on Sunday. On Thursday, five polling centres were set on fire in Rajshahi and Feni.

Twenty-eight parties are contesting the election, but several other parties, including the BNP, are boycotting the polls after their demand for an impartial election-time government was not met. In response, the BNP called a hartal from 6 am on Sunday to 6 am Monday to press for its demand to boycott the polls.

bdnews24.com correspondents have sent in reports from different districts on the attacks.

SUNAMGANJ

The polling centre at the Garakata Government Primary School in Madhyanagar Upazila's Bangshikunda South Union was set on fire in the early hours of Saturday.

"A polling centre was set up at the Garakata Government Primary School," said Sub Inspector Kamal Hossain of Madhyanagar Police Station. "The school was locked on Friday night. Two village police were on guard in one of the rooms. Suddenly, they noticed the fire and screamed out. Locals rushed to the location and brought the fire under control."

"We went to the scene with police personnel when the incident was reported," said Atish Chakma, the Madhyanagar Upazila executive officer and assistant returning officer. "We are looking into the matter seriously. We are trying to find those responsible for the fire."

TANGAIL

A fire was set in an abandoned room of the Kandila Government Primary School in Ward-1 of the Tangail Municipality around 6 am on Saturday.

Head Teacher Nazmul Anam said the fire had burnt one door and partially burnt another in the building.

The night watchman reported the fire in the morning, he said. He rushed to the school to find two doors on fire. The fire was then quickly put out.

Mohammad Lokman Hossain, chief of Tangail Sadar Police Station, said that there was no damage as the locals extinguished the fire. Attempts are being made to arrest those involved in the incident.

MYMENSINGH

Two polling centres - Parshipara Government Primary School at Ward 3 in Gafargaon Union of Gafargaon Upazila and Haripur Government Primary School of Singrail Union in Nandail Upazila - were set ablaze on Saturday morning in Mymensingh.

Gafargaon Upazila, executive officer and Assistant Returning Officer Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, said, "The fire service went and brought the fire under control after it was reported at the Parashipara Government Primary School centre. Whether the incident was due to an electrical short circuit or sabotage is under investigation."

However, there was not much damage from the fire, he said, adding that the centre was still prepared for the election.

Abdul Majid, chief of Nandail Police Station, said, "We are trying to find out how the fire broke out at the Haripur Government Primary School centre. Initially, miscreants are believed to have started the fire."

He said that voting would still occur at the centre as it had not suffered much damage.

GAZIPUR

Arson incidents were reported at the East Chandana Government Primary School centre and the Banshtali Government Primary School centre in Kaliakoir Upazila in the Wireless Gate area of Gazipur city on Saturday morning.

Md Abdullah-Al-Arefin, deputy assistant director of the Gazipur Fire Service, cited local residents, saying, "At around 1:30 pm, miscreants poured petrol on a cupboard through the window of an office room inside East Chandana Government Primary School in Gazipur city, set it on fire and spread."

"The cupboard began burning. The staff of Joydevpur Fire Station and Gazipur-Chowrasta Modern Fire Station went and extinguished the fire when it was reported. Books and some important documents in the cupboard were burnt in the fire."

Apart from this, an office room at Banshtali Government Primary School was set on fire sometime during the night, said Iftekhar Rayhan, station officer for the Kaliakor Fire Service.

Stating that some new books and educational materials from the office were burnt in the fire, he said that the locals rushed to the spot and extinguished the flames when it was spotted.

AWAMI LEAGUE CAMPS SET ON FIRE

Election campaign camps for two Awami League candidates were set on fire in Gazipur. A camp for Gazipur-3 AL candidate Rumana Ali was set on fire in Sreepur, while another for Gazipur-2 candidate Md Jahid Ahsan Rasel was set on fire in the city’s north Rajbari area.

The campaign offices were set on fire at some point on Friday night near the Shafiq Intersection in Mulaid Village and the Rajbari Water Tank, police said.

“A few clothes were burnt in the Mulaid Village fire,” said Md Shah Zaman, chief of Sreepur Police Station. “It will be investigated and legal action will be taken.

“Firefighters from Joydebput Fire Station went to the scene after it was reported and put out the fire with the help of local residents,” said Abdullah Al Arefin, deputy assistant director of the Gazipur fire service.

“Posters, electrical boards, wires, and other goods were burnt.”

HABIGANJ

A fire broke out at around midnight at the government primary school polling station adjacent to Lakshmipur market in Chunarughat Upazila.

Hillol Roy, chief of Chunarughat Police Station, said that they rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control once it was reported. The incident will be investigated, and legal action will be taken, he said.

According to eyewitnesses, the fire spread to several rooms. Benches and other furniture were burnt. The police and fire service personnel reached the spot and brought the situation under control.

BARGUNA

Two polling stations were set on fire in Amtali Upazila at around 11 pm on Friday.

Amtali Police Station chief Kazi Shakhawat Hossain Tapu said, "Locals quickly extinguished the fire. There was no damage to the two centres. After hearing the news, I visited the spot."

Barguna Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Mohammad Rafiqul Islam said, "The fires at the two centres were extinguished soon after they started, so there won't be any difficulty in voting."

CHATTOGRAM

A fire broke out at the Nishintapara Government Primary School centre in the Dhuppul area of South Madhyam Halishahar at the Chattogram Port Police Station in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Chattogram City Police Deputy Commissioner (Port) Shakila Sultana said, "There was a fire in the head teacher's room in the morning. After distributing the books to the students, some were left over. Among them, about 70 books were burnt. The centre will not face any problems because of this."

"The room was locked from the outside; the window was also closed. How the fire started is under investigation."

SHARIATPUR

The centre at Charmohan Sureshwar Primary School in Naria Upazila's Gharisha Union was set on fire on Friday night.

Union council Chairman Abdur Rab Khan said, "We heard about the incident and brought the fire under control. There was no damage to the polling station apart from the burning of three benches."

District Superintendent of Police Mahbubul Alam said, "Out of the 378 centres, criminals broke the window glass of one centre and set it on fire. There was no damage to the centre. Adequate security arrangements have been made by law enforcement agencies, including the police."

KHULNA

Fires were set at the Bagmara Government Primary School centre in Rupsha Upazila and also at the Tipna Government Primary School in Dumuria Upazila's Kharnia Union, which was mistaken for a polling centre, on Friday night.

"The primary school is not a polling centre," said Sukanta Saha, chief of Dumuria Police Station. "But it was set on fire because it was mistaken for one. A room in the school library was burnt. Police are inspecting the scene."

Mohammad Shawkat Kabir, chief of Rupsha Police Station, said, "The polling centre at Bagmara Government Primary School was set on fire. But the criminals fled at the scream of the night guard. Locals helped extinguish the fire, so there wasn't much damage.