One individual lost their life, and five others sustained injuries in multiple instances of violence following the election from Friday evening to last night across five districts.
The deceased, identified as Osman Sardar, aged 29, was a supporter of an independent candidate affiliated with BNP in Bagerhat-2 constituency and resided in Paronowapara village in Bagerhat Sadar upazila.
According to the victim’s elder brother, Enamul Kabir Sardar, a clash erupted between supporters of the BNP-nominated candidate, Barrister Sheikh Mohammad Zakir Hossain, and rebel candidate MAH Selim at Chitabari village on the border area between Kachua and Sadar upazilas on Friday evening. Osman Sardar sustained severe head injuries from sharp weapons wielded by Zakir’s supporters during the altercation. He was initially taken to Bagerhat Sadar Hospital and later transferred to Khulna Medical College Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries around 11:30 am the following day.
BNP Convener ATM Akram Hossain Talim, who also supports the party-nominated candidate, denied any involvement of their activists in the violent incident, suggesting it could be linked to internal conflicts among supporters of the independent candidate.
In a separate incident in Feni’s Daganbhuiyan upazila, Jaynal Abedin Dulal, an activist of Jamaat-e-Islami, was wounded in an attack by BNP activists on Friday, resulting in the death of his mother, Rowshan Ara, aged 65, the next day.
The family revealed that Jaynal, who had recently returned from the UAE, was campaigning for the Jamaat-nominated candidate when he was assaulted by BNP members in the Selonia Bazaar area. Jaynal recounted how his mother collapsed upon hearing about the attack on him, leading to her subsequent passing.
Abdul Awal Mintoo, the newly elected BNP lawmaker from Feni-3, expressed dismay over the incident and vowed to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.
In Pabna’s Boraigram upazila, clashes between BNP and Jamaat activists in Dhanaidah village resulted in injuries to at least two individuals and the vandalism of several residences. Tensions had been escalating between the two groups since the election concluded, as confirmed by Officer-in-Charge Md Abdus Salam of Boraigram Police Station.
Meanwhile, in Sunamganj, Emonudduza Ahmed, a leader of Jatiya Jubo Shakti, sustained injuries in an assault by unidentified assailants on Friday night. Ahmed is currently receiving medical treatment at the Sunamganj 250-bed District Sadar Hospital, following the incident at Kazir Point area.
Further, in Netrokona’s Purbadhala upazila, Kamal Hossain, a leader of Jubo Dal, was injured in a clash between BNP and Jamaat supporters on Friday evening. The clash ensued as Jamaat supporters celebrated their candidate’s victory in Netrokona-5, encountering BNP activists near Narayandahar Bazar area, leading to Hossain’s injuries.
Additionally, in Jashore Sadar, a bus belonging to the election coordinator of a BNP candidate was set ablaze in the Bahadurpur (Mehogoni Tola) area early Saturday. The bus owner, Abu Bakkar Siddiqui, served as the coordinator for the newly elected BNP lawmaker for Jashore-3, Anindya Islam Amit, as reported by Jashore Kotwali Police Station’s Inspector (Investigation) Kazi Babul.
Contributions from our correspondents in Bagerhat, Feni, Sylhet, Netrokona, and Benapole have contributed to this report.
