Voting held, 2 killed

At least two people were killed in Jashore and Khulna districts in pre-polls violence before the 3rd phase of Union Parishad elections started in different districts on Sunday morning.

In Khulna, supporters of a rebel candidate of Awami League at Madhupur in Terokhada upazila of Khulna district beaten a 38-year-old man to death on Sunday.

The deceased was identified as Babul Shikdar, 38, a supporter of Awami League-backed chairman candidate Mohammad Mohsin.

Quoting local people, Zahurul Alam, officer-in-charge of Terokhada Police Station, said the supporters of rebel candidate Kamal Hossain swooped on Babul Shikdar around 12:15 am on his way home.

Later, they hit Babul with a hammer and stabbed him indiscriminately, leaving him critically injured.

Babul was taken to Khulna Medical College and Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries around 6:15 am.

A tense situation was prevailing in the area following the incident. “Efforts are on to arrest the attackers as they managed to flee the scene. No one has lodged any complaint in this connection,” he said.

In Jashore, a 35-year-old man was killed and a dozen others injured in a clash between the supporters of two-member candidates at Kaiba union in Sharsha upaizla on Saturday night.

The deceased was identified as Kutub Uddin, 35, a supporter of Iktiar Rahman, a member candidate of No 1 ward of the union and son of Mohiuddin of Rudrapur village.

Quoting local people, Rupon Kumar Sarkar, inspector of DB police, said the supporters of the current member Habibur Rahman, equipped with arms, attacked Kutub while he was pasting posters on behalf of Iktiar at Rudrapur around 6 pm on Saturday.

Violence was reported from different parts of the country, including Narsingdi, Cox’s Bazar, Cumilla and Chattogram.

Three people were killed and a number of people were injured in the first phase of union parishad election that concluded with reports of sporadic violence and clashes on September 20.