10 injured in pre-election clashes in Kaliganj

At least 10 people were injured in clashes that broke out between activists of two rival groups in Jamalpur union parishad under Gazipur’s Kaliganj upazila a day before the local elections on Sunday.

The injured include President of Kaliganj upazila unit Awami Jubo League SM Alamgir Hossain, 42, confirms Kaliganj police Officer-in-Charge (OC) AKM Mizanul Haque.

Meanwhile, Kaliganj police arrested Joint Office Secretary of upazila Awami League Asaduzzaman Barun, 40, with foreign pistols and two rounds of bullets from the spot.

Elections will be held to six union parishads (UP) including Jamalpur on Monday.

Alamgir Hossain and his supporters were talking to locals in Gollartek area of Jamalpur crossroads in the afternoon on behalf of the Awami League-nominated Jamalpur UP chairman candidate.

At that time, some youths led by Asaduzzaman Barun and Saiful Morol, 40, launched an attack on them. They fired several rounds of bullets.

When some locals went to the spot to save Alamgir, the attackers also beat them up and clashes broke out between the two groups.

Enraged by the incident, locals chased and captured Barun with a pistol loaded with bullets. He was then handed over to the police.

Police took him to the Upazila Health Complex, and later sent him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.

The other injured were sent to various hospitals including Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex.

According to locals, five candidates supported by the Awami League, Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Zaker Party are contesting for the chairman post in Jamalpur UP election.

Awami League- nominated candidate Mahbubur Rahman Farooq Master is competing with the boat symbol.

Failing to get nomination, local Awami League leader Khairul Alam is contesting as an independent candidate with the motorcycle symbol. Upazila unit Jubo League President SM Alamgir Hossain did not get nomination.

Kaliganj upazila

The upazila consists of seven union parishads and one municipality. Of these, elections will be held to six union parishads on Monday. These are Tumulia, Baktarpur, Jangalia, Moktarpur, Jamalpur and Bahadursadi union parishads. The election to Nagari union parishad was suspended due to conflicts regarding the border.

The total number of voters in the six unions is 109,624. Voting will be held at 74 centres from 8am to 4pm on Monday.

In the six unions, 16 candidates are contesting for the post of chairman, 57 candidates for the reserved women seats and 195 candidates for the post of general members.