Dhaka, February 12: Violence has erupted at several polling stations during the ongoing elections in Bangladesh, resulting in the death of a leader from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
The law and order situation in Bangladesh has been precarious, and the atmosphere worsened significantly after voting commenced at 7:30 AM.
Just hours after polling began, incidents occurred, including the death of BNP leader Mohibuzzaman Kochi at the Alia Madrasa polling station in Khulna district.
According to eyewitnesses and police reports cited by the Bangladeshi newspaper ‘Jugantor’, tensions flared between supporters of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami near the Alia Madrasa academic building on Thursday morning.
Yusuf Harun Majnu, former organizing secretary of the BNP in Khulna Sadar, stated, “There was tension at the center from the morning. The principal of Alia Madrasa was campaigning for Jamaat. When the BNP leader attempted to intervene, they pushed Mohibuzzaman, causing him to collide with a tree and sustain a head injury, which led to his death.”
Confirming the incident, Sub-Inspector Khan Faisal Rafi, in charge of the center from Khulna Sadar police station, said, “When tensions arose between the two parties, we immediately went to the scene and separated them.”
Emergency Medical Officer Parth Roy from Khulna City Medical College Hospital reported that the BNP leader was brought in dead. Meanwhile, during voting in the Gopalganj Sadar sub-district, three individuals were injured in a cocktail bomb attack at a polling station.
This incident occurred at the Reshma International School polling station in Gopalganj district. According to Duty Officer Sub-Inspector Jahidul Islam, voting had been proceeding peacefully until miscreants threw bombs from across the canal outside the center. The explosion injured two members of the Ansar, a paramilitary auxiliary force, and a child accompanying a voter. Clashes were also reported in Munshiganj following the blast.
Jamaat has alleged that its leaders, activists, and supporters have been obstructed from voting and attacked in various parts of the country. During a press conference on Thursday morning, Jamaat’s Assistant Secretary General Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair made these allegations.
He stated, “The elections are taking place in a celebratory atmosphere. Meanwhile, attacks are occurring against Jamaat leaders, activists, and agents in different regions of the country. We have informed the administration, the election commission, and responsible authorities to take action regarding these incidents. We have urged the administration not to take sides.”
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