The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday said it is embarrassed over Tuesday’s attack on BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Isalm Alamgir’s motorcade in Thakurgaon and a clash in Noakhali where a Jubo League leader was killed.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda said the EC is deeply saddened and embarrassed for such undesired incidents. He was briefing executive magistrates at Nirbachan Bhaban in Agargaon area of Dhaka.

He also said, ‘The worth of a person’s life is much greater than the whole election.’

Violence mars election campaign

In Noakhali, A Jubo League leader, Mohammad Hanif, was killed in a pre-election fight between the supporters of Awami League and BNP over electioneering at Eojbalia in Sadar upazila on Tuesday.

Officer-in-charge (OC) of Sudharam Police Station Anwar Hossain said the supporters of Awami League’s Noakhali-4 election candidate Ekramul Karim Chowdhury and BNP’s M Shahjahan engaged in a fight over election campaign.

Amid a chase and counter-chase during the melee, Hanif suffered bullet wounds.

In another incident, another Jubo League leader, M Zahir Uddin, 30, suffered bullet injuries in an attack by miscreants at Karimpur in Sadar upazila around 12:30pm.

Meanwhile, ruling party activists allegedly attacked BNP leaders and activists in Kabirhat upazila over holding a rally of BNP candidate for Noakhali-5 seat Moudud Ahmed, leaving 30 people injured.

Witnesses said a group of Awami League activists swooped on BNP workers while they were preparing for holding a rally there around 11:00am. Moudud was scheduled to address the rally.

In Faridpur, a local Awami League leader was killed in an attack allegedly by BNP supporters at Goaldangi in Sadarupazila at night.

The deceased was identified as Yusuf Al Mamun, 40, cultural affairs secretary of North Channel union unit of Awami League in the upazila.

Witnesses said Mamun had an altercation with BNP activists Mazid Sheikh and Aziz at a local tea stall around 8:30pm over the upcoming election and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

At one stage, the two BNP men punched him and beat him with a stick whereby the AL leader collapsed on the ground.

He was taken to Faridpur Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Local ward AL president Lalon Fakir was also injured as he tried to prevent the attack.

District AL vice-president and Zila Parishad Chairman Lokman Hossain Mridha claimed that the attackers are the supporters of BNP candidate from Faridpur-3 constituency Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yousuf.

North Channel union BNP president JamiruddinHazi saidMamun and Aziz are of same age and they used to move together. ‘The accident happened following an altercation between them. This is not a planned incident.’

Officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station AFM Nasim said policemen were deployed in the area.

In Thakurgaon, the motorcade of BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came under attack at Danarhat in Sadar upazila at noon on his way to the district town from Saidpur Airport, leaving at least 10 people injured.

BNP district president Taimur Rahman alleged that a group of Awami League leaders and activists made the attack on Fakhrul’s motorcade around 12:05pm, damaging at least eight vehicles of the BNP leader’s motorcade.

In Bogura, at least 12 people were injured when the motorcade of BNP aspirant Golam Mohammad Siraj for Bogura-5 constituency came under attack in Dhunat upazila headquarters around 10:30am while he was going to attend election rallies at Nimgachhi and Elangi of the upazila.

However, Golam Mohammad Siraj, a former MP, at a press briefing blamed the activists of the ruling party for the attack.

In Manikganj, the motorcade of BNP aspirant Afroza Khan Rita of Manikganj-3 constituency came under an attack by a group of miscreants near Kalu Shah Shrine in Saturia upazila around 4:00pm during electioneering, leaving 10 people injured.

In Barishal, the motorcade of BNP candidate of Jhalakathi-2 constituency Jeba Amin Khan came under attack by miscreants in airport area on Tuesday afternoon on her way to Jhalakathi.

She claimed some miscreant chanting ‘Joy Bangla’ slogans attacked her motorcade as she was heading towards her constituency for electioneering.

Jeba said the attackers hurled stones at her vehicle and damaged four motorbikes of her activists.