Dhaka: Three people were killed and at least 50 others injured in clashes in different parts of the country during the second phase union election on Thursday.

The deceased are Rafiqul Islam, of Shyampur union of Melandah upazila in Jamalpur, Shubho, aged around 10, son of Halim of Dhalikandi village in Keraniganj upazila, Dhaka and Golap Hossain of Chanchra union in Sadar upazila, Jessore.

Jamalpur

Supporters of the two member candidates locked in a clash at Uttar Baluchar Government Primary School polling centre at about 11:15 am at Shyampur union in Melandah upazila of Jamalpur district.

Both the groups took part in a chase and counter-chase. During the melee, a brick chip was hurled form one side that hit Rafiqul Islam,50, leaving him dead on the spot, witnesses said.

Another person was also injured in the clash, they said.

However, the Melandah police officer-in-charge Nasimul Islam said Rafiqul died of heart attack while waiting in a long queue for casting vote.

Keraniganj

A minor boy, identified as Shubho, aged 10 years old, son of Halim of Dhalikandi village, was killed as he received stray bullets during a gunfight at a polling centre in Madhurchar during the balloting.

Quoting witnesses, the Keraniganj model police officer-in-charge Ferdous Hossain said a group of BNP supporters and another of Awami League locked into a clash over capturing Madhurchar Govt Primary School polling station at about 10:20am. But he could not provide further details of the incident.

Jessore

A man was gunned down during a clash between the supporters of two chairman candidates at Chanchara union in Sadar upazila.

The Sadar police officer-in-charge Elias Hossain said the supporters of AL-nominated and AL-rebel candidates engaged in a clash at Bhaturia Government Primary School polling centre in Chanchra union at about 11:00am.

Both the groups took part in a chase and counter-chase and opened fire at each other, leaving Golap Hossain dead on the spot and two others injured.

The injured were admitted to Jessore 250-bed General Hospital.

Meanwhile, 11 chairman candidates boycotted the election in eight union councils in Sitakunda upazila of Chittagong, Gazipur union of Chandpur, Chowara and Boropara unions under Comilla South upazila, Urfa union parishad in Nakla upazila under Sherpur and Jadabpur union under Jhenidah district on charges of various irregularities. Eight of them belong to BNP, two to AL (rebel), while one is an independent candidate.

Voting at a polling centre in Nayanagar union of Melandah upazila under Jamalpur was suspended as miscreants tried to snatch ballot boxes before the start of the voting in the morning.

Five people were injured as a clash broke during an attempt by the supporters of Jatiya Party and BNP-backed chairman candidates to resist an alleged bid of Awami League-backed candidate to capture a polling centre at Khoshbash union in Barura upazila.

BNP-backed chairman candidate Zakir Hossain and JP-backed chairman candidate Shah Alam were among the injured. Police also recovered five crude bombs from the spot and picked up five people from the scene for quizzing.

Police arrested an assistant presiding officer as he allegedly facilitated fake vote casting in favour of the Awami League-backed chairman candidate at Churamankathi in Jessore Sadar upazila in the morning.

Police also arrested an agent of the AL candidate, Babul Hossain.

Earlier, voting in the election to 639 union councils of 82 upazilas across 47 of the country’s 64 districts began at about 8:00am and it will continue till 4:00pm without any break.

As many as 31 chairman candidates, all from ruling Awami League, have already been elected unopposed as there was no rival against their respective posts in the 2nd phase of the UC polls.

Of the 31 chairman posts that won uncontested, 14 are in Gopalganj, six in Joypurhat, three in Jessore, two in each Dhaka and Madaripur, one each in Kishoreganj and Munshiganj, Sherpur and Sirajganj.

According to the statistics provided by the Election Commission on Wednesday, a total of 2,662 chairman contenders, including some 1493 from 17 political parties and 1,169 independent candidates are in the election races in the UCs.

Candidates from two major political parties—ruling Awami League and its archrival BNP—are frontrunners in the election. But BNP has no chairman candidate in 79 UCs, while AL has got candidates in all the 639 UPs.