2 shot at in Cox’s Bazar, 10 injured in Shariatpur

Tensions are running high in Cox’s Bazar’s Jhilangja union as two brothers, both Awami League leaders, were shot Friday ahead of the union parishad polls.

Kudrat Ullah Sikder, Awami League leader and member candidate for Ward 3 of the union, and his brother Jahirul Islam, Sramik League president of the district, were shot at 10pm. The assailants arrived on the scene riding on motorcycles and left after opening fire at them at Kudrat’s office, according to locals.

The brothers are now undergoing treatment at Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital.

As the news broke, the supporters of Kudrat, whose electoral symbol is football, blockaded roads, causing long tailbacks on the Link Road area of the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf and Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar highways.

The wounded ruling party leaders themselves blamed rival candidate Liaquat, with the electoral symbol rooster, for the shooting.

“Member candidate Kudrat Ullah and his brother Jahirul Islam were reportedly shot. Police visited the spot and are working to maintain law and order there and remove the road blockade. Also, police are investigating the incident,” said Bipul Chandra, officer-in-charge of Cox’s Bazar Model Police Station.

In Shariatpur, at least 10 people were injured when supporters of two rival candidates for the upcoming Rudrakar Union Parishad election allegedly clashed in the Subachani Bazar area of Shariatpur’s Sadar upazila on Friday night.

Akter Hossain, officer-in-charge of Sadar police station, said that Habibur Dhali, a candidate, and his supporters suddenly attacked his rival, Sirajul Islam Dhali, a Awami League-backed candidate, and his associates in his office around 11:15pm.

Habibur and his men also vandalised the Awami League office. Upon information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

Sirajul and his men retaliated, leading to a clash in which 10 people, including Sirajul, were injured. Of them, three seriously injured, including Sirajul, were shifted to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.

The Union Parishad polls are slated for November 11.