Gayeshwar, 30 others injured in attack at Keraniganj

BD Correspondent: Fear haunts opposition activists as arrests and intimidation coupled with attacks continued across the country on Tuesday, only four days ahead of the 11th national election slated for December 30.
Electioneering of opposition candidates is facing obstacles and attacks in different districts and divisional cities including Dhaka when ruling Awami League campaigners came under attack in Chittagong that left at least four injured at Sitakunda on the day.
BNP standing committee member and the party’s candidate for Dhaka 3 constituency Gayeshwar Chandra Roy was injured in an attack allegedly by AL activists during his campaign at Keraniganj of Dhaka Tuesday evening.
BNP candidate for Dhaka 9 Afroza Abbas on Tuesday alleged that officers-in-charge of two police stations asked her not to go for electioneering on ‘security’ grounds while the party’s candidate for Barishal 1 Zahir Uddin Swapan alleged that he had been staying at home as his campaigners faced attacks by ruling Awami League activists if he went outside for electioneering.

In video clippings uploaded in social media, that went viral, ruling AL candidate for Natore 2 Shafiqul Islam Shimul during his election campaign warned BNP activists not to go to polling centres to cast votes or face dire consciences while an activist at an election office of AL candidate for Barishal 1 Abul Hasnat Abdullah warned opposition activists to leave the area for the election day or face attacks.

Chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda in a programme at Hatkhola in Old Dhaka expected that the December 30 election would be peaceful with the participation of all political parties.
BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi alleged that police increased arresting more campaigners since Sunday night and that their activists were being attacked and intimidated by the ruling party men.
‘Our website has been blocked. But, we are hopeful that the situation will change soon,’ he said.
AL joint general secretary Abdur Rahman Abdur Rahman, meanwhile, claimed that the opposition candidates were intentionally making baseless allegations.
AIG (media) Md Sohel Rana said police accelerated its activities to arrest those who might appear harmful for holding a peaceful election.
In Dhaka, former state minister and BNP candidate for Dhaka 3 Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and 30 others were injured in an attack allegedly by Swechchhasebak League activists during his campaign at Chunkutia Kadamtala under Keraniganj Tuesday evening.
BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi alleged that AL supporters launched the attack without any provocation.
Gayeshwar’s family said he sustained injuries in the head and was admitted to Islami Bank Central Hospital at Kakrail in Dhaka where other injured activists were also undergoing treatment.
South Keranijganj police officer-in-charge M Shah Zaman said he heard that Gayeshwar was injured in a clash between his supporters and Swechchhasebak League activists.
‘Both the groups hurled brickbats targeting each other. Five or six Swechchhasebak League activists were also injured,’ Zaman said.
The AL candidate for the constituency Nasrul Hamid, also state minister for power, said BNP supporters first attacked his activists when they were crossing each other.
‘They seriously injured our activists, who are now taking treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Gayeshwar Chandra Roy was also injured in the incident,’ he said.
‘I have sympathy for Gayeshwar Chandra Roy. Tension is not expected in the election,’ Nasrul said.
Besides, at least five BNP activists were injured during chase and counter-chase between activists of BNP candidate for Dhaka 4 Salah Uddin Ahmed and AL-led alliance candidate Abu Hossain Babla of Jatiya Party when Salah Uddin’s campaign reached Lal Masjid area under Shyampur in the city.
Salah Uddin alleged that AL men attacked his activists in presence of police.
Police detained six BNP activists from the spot, police said.
BNP candidate for Dhaka 8 and its standing committee member Mirza Abbas alleged that said the police started raiding houses of his supporters from Sunday night.
‘I assume police became more aggressive after deployment of army on Monday. If my supporters go out they are attacked by the ruling party men and police arrest them if they remain at home,’ Abbas said.
BNP candidate for Dhaka 9 Afroza Abbas alleged that the OCs of Sabujbagh and Khilgaon Police Stations did not permit her to go out for campaigning at Kadamtola, Basabo and Khilgaon on Tuesday saying that confrontational situation might arise as supporters of AL candidate Saber Hossain Chowdhury were there.
But the fact is that, she said, Saber’s supporters were attacking her campaigns every day.
Gono Forum executive president Subrata Chowdhury, who is running for Dhaka 6, said he could not campaign at Lakshmibazar in the morning at the obstruction of AL men and again by police near Siddik Bazar and Suritola in the afternoon.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rob) president ASM Abdur Rob from his constituency of Lakshipur 4 said that the ruling party men damaged four of his campaign offices under Kamalnagar Upazia on Tuesday morning.
‘Police do not take our cases rather harass our men,’ Rob said.
BNP’s standing committee member Khandokar Mosharraf Hossain from Cumilla said that his supporters were panicked by the ongoing arrests and intimidation by police and attacks by AL.
‘The ruling party supporters are attacking our campaigns. So, we are taking alternative ways like sending SMS to the voters,’ he said.
Gono Forum general secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu, a candidate of Dhaka 7, said his posters were torn down by Chhatra League and Juba League activists at Nayabazar in the capital on Monday morning.
Krishak Sramik Janta League’s joint general secretary Iqbal Siddiquee, who is running for Gazipur 3, said he faced obstacles from the ruling party men while campaigning on Monday morning.
‘The police arrest people who accompany me in campaigns’, he said.
At Nababganj, at least 10 journalists sustained injuries and 16 vehicles carrying them were vandalised as unidentified miscreants attacked them at a rest house in Kalakopa area of Nababganj Monday night, United News of Bangladesh reported.
Shamim Khan, Dhamrai correspondent of Jugantor, had been missing since the incident, Azharul Haque, staff correspondent of Dainik Jugantar alleged.
Sub-inspector Kamrul Islam of Nawabganj Police Station said they visited the spot and were investigating the incident.
New Age Staff Correspondent in Chattogram reported that four AL activists were injured as BNP men allegedly hurled petrol bombs and attacked an election procession for AL candidate for Chattogram 4 Didarul Alam at Chairman Ghata under Sitakunda upazila.
Sitakunda police officer-in-charge Delwar Hossain said that the attackers hurled one or two petrol bombs on the rally and that they would take action after investigation.
New Age correspondents reported that 15 BNP leaders and activists were arrested in Jashore, three at Godagari of Rajshahi, six at Pirgacha of Rangpur, 99 in Bagerhat town, 37 in Barishal city while Narayanganj Gono Forum president Delwar Hossain Chunnu was arrested at his residence in the city.
Our Correspondent in Brahmanbaria reported that a top government official, inspector general of registrar Khan Md Abdul Mannan, participated in an election meeting of AL candidate for Brahmanbaria 4 and law minister Anisul Huq at Chanpur Primary school ground at Akhaura on Tuesday noon, in violation of Representation of the People Order, 1972.
New Age correspondent in Tangail reported that BNP candidates for Tangail 5 Mahmudul Hasan and Tangail 3 Lutfor Rahman Khan in separate press conferences alleged that AL leaders and activists were harassing and attacking their activists and police were arresting their men while the ruling party candidates had gathered ‘thousands of’ outsiders in their area to take election results in their favour.
In Sunamganj, district BNP general secretary Nurul Islam in a press conference at the party’s district office on Tuesday made the same allegation.
In Kishoreganj, BNP candidate for Kishoreganj 2 Akhteruzzaman Ranjan and 30 others were injured as police charged baton on their campaign at Noakandi of Katiadi Monday night.
Katiadi police OC Mohammad Shamsuddin said that the BNP men chased the police when five cops were injured and later they brought the situation under control and detained the candidate’s son Md Sabbir Zaman Rony from the spot.
New Age correspondent in Rangpur reported that Jatiya Party candidate for Rangur 5 SM Faquaruzzaman Jahangir in a press conference at his residence demanded an end to arrest and harassment of his party leaders and activists and withdrawal of assistant returning officer within 24 hours for creating level playing field.
Our Correspondent in Munshiganj reported that two journalists were injured when they were taking photos of chasing an election campaign of BNP candidate for Munshiganj 3 Abdul Hai allegedly by AL activists at Hatlakshmiganj of the district town Tuesday morning.
New Age correspondent in Barishal, quoting police, reported that Banaripara police arrested 14 BNP activists on Tuesday in a case lodged against over 100 BNP men including the party candidate for Barishal 2 Sharfuddin Ahmed Santu allegedly for attack on an AL election campaign on Monday.
Barishal city BNP president and candidate for Barishal 5 Mujibor Rahman Sarwar on Tuesday alleged that it was now very difficult to conduct his election campaign because of arrest, attack and intimidation both by the police and AL men.
He said that he was becoming isolated due to the arrest and none was now agreeing to rent him public announcement system as they were vandalised almost every day.
Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal general secretary Khalequzzaman during election campaigns for his party candidates in Dhaka alleged that though only four days were remaining for the election, people were still panicked as EC could not ensure a level playing field for all political parties.
In Satkhira, detectives on Tuesday arrested wife and daughter of detained Jamaat leader Gazi Nazrul Islam, who is contesting the election with BNP ticket from Satkhira 4, on the district jail premises on charge of planning sabotage, said Ali Ahmed Hashemi, sub-inspector of district DB police, reported United News of Bangladesh.

Our correspondent in Mymensingh reported that at least 30 people including leaders and activists of AL and BNP as well as journalists were injured in a clash between activists of the two parties in bus stand area of Bhaluka town Tuesday afternoon.

The clash began when BNP candidate for Mymensingh 11 Fakar Uddin Ahmed Bachchu brought out a procession from Pilot School playground and met another one of AL in bus stand area and police brought the situation under control by lobbing tear gas and opening about 20 gunshots in the air, said Bhaluka police station OC Firoz Talukder.
Bangladesh Chhatra League activists Tuesday night attacked activists of Bangladesh Students Federation activists who were staying in the dormitory of Dhaka University gymnasium.

BSF DU president Umme Habiba Benzir said they were conducting election campaign for Left Democratic Alliance candidate Zonayed Saki from there.
She alleged that BCL activists attacked them, leaving at least 10 injured.