Bangladesh elections: Violence erupts at several polling booths, BNP leader killed

Dhaka: Violence erupted at several polling booths across Bangladesh on Thursday, leading to the death of a political leader as the voting was underway across the nation, local media reported.

These incidents unfolded hours after polling began, reflecting the deteriorating law and order situation and volatile security landscape in Bangladesh.

Amid the escalating violence, a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader, Mohibuzzaman Kochi, died at the Alia Madrasa polling station in Khulna district.

Citing eyewitnesses and police, Bangladesh’s leading Bengali daily Jugantor reported that tension arose between BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami supporters on Thursday morning near the Alia Madras Academic Building.

Former Khulna Sadar Thana BNP organising secretary Yusuf Harun Majnu said, “There was tension at the centre since morning. The principal of Alia Madrasa was campaigning for Jamaat. When he stopped him, he pushed Mohibuzzaman Kochi. As a result, he hit a tree and got hit on the head. This is what caused his death.”

Confirming the incident, Khulna Sadar Police Station Sub Inspector Khan Faisal Rafi, in charge of the centre, said, “When tension arose between the two parties, we immediately went to the spot and separated the two parties.”

Emergency Medical Officer at Khulna City Medical College Hospital, Partha Roy, said the BNP leader Kochi was brought dead to the hospital.

Meanwhile, a cocktail bomb attack at a polling station in Gopalganj Sadar Upazila during voting left three people injured.

The incident occurred at the Reshma International School polling station in Gopalganj district on Thursday morning.

According to Sub-Inspector Jahidul Islam, on duty officer at the polling station, voting was going on peacefully since morning when miscreants threw cocktails from across the canal outside the centre. The explosion injured two on-duty Ansar members, a paramilitary auxiliary force and a child accompanying a voter, triggering panic among the voters.

Additionally, Jamaat alleged that its leaders, workers and supporters were prevented from voting and attacked in several parts of the country.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday morning, the party’s Assistant Secretary General Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair made the allegation.

“The elections are being held in a festive atmosphere. In the meantime, there have been allegations of attacks on Jamaat leaders, activists and candidates’ agents in different parts of the country, and obstruction of voting. Among them, Jamaat leaders and activists were attacked at a polling station in Barisal, there was a massive attack in Bhola-2 constituency, militants are attacking and obstructing agents in Comilla-8 constituency,” Bangladeshi Bengali daily Bonik Barta quoted Zubair as saying.

“Besides, voters are being prevented from going to polling stations in Hatia, Noakhali. Several such incidents are happening. We think those who are doing this are depressed and bankrupt. We have informed the administration, the Election Commission and those responsible to take action in these incidents. We have told the administration not to take sides,” he added.

Bangladesh’s high-stakes parliamentary elections are unfolding amid escalating political conflict and violence, with several parties raising concerns over the fairness of the polls.

IANS