Shawdesh desk:

The factional clash between supporters of the ruling Awami League during the campaign for the January 7 general election left one person killed in Barishal while scores of others were injured in similar clashes in districts between Thursday night and Friday.

Awami League supporter Sirajul Islam Sikder died after he fell sick during a clash between the two groups before prime minister Sheikh Hasina attended a rally at Bangabandhu Udyan in Barishal city on Friday afternoon, reported New Age correspondent in Barishal.

Awami League incumbent lawmaker Pankaj Nath, who was contesting for Barishal-4 as an independent candidate, claimed Sirajul, 55, a resident of the Guabari union under Mehendiganj, as one of his supporters.

Witnesses said that supporters of Pankaj clashed with supporters of AL international affairs secretary Shammi Ahmed, who was fighting in court to get back her candidature after the Awami League nominated her as the party’s official candidate for the constituency.

At least 13 others were injured in the clash, said AL independent candidate Pankaj.

Barishal Sher-e Bangla Medical College Hospital physician Kabiruddin said that Sirajul died after being admitted to the hospital with bruises. The cause of his death could be ascertained after the post-mortem report, he added.

Shammi Ahmed’s election coordinator, Syed Monir, said Pankaj Nath’s followers created chaos at the public meeting and attacked their activists, where Sirajul Islam fell, and died after being taken to the hospital.

Barishal Metropolitan Police Commissioner Jehadul Kabir told New Age that it was a scuffle between two factions, and the man died of cardiac arrest.

With the death of Sirajul, at least four people have been killed since the Election Commission announced the schedule for the 12th parliamentary election on November 15, allowing the election campaign to start on December 18, according to New Age compilation and police information.

The authorities on Friday deployed 1,151 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh countrywide to maintain law and order amid a growing number of acts of violence and chaos among supporters of rival candidates ahead of the election.

The BGB will work as a mobile and striking force for 13 days from December 29,  2023, to January 10, 2024, to ensure peaceful elections across the country, including Dhaka, the paramilitary force said in a press release.

A police document found 172 cases of electoral violence between November 30 and December 26 in 45 districts, in which five shooting incidents, three cases of bomb explosions, and 20 arson attacks took place.

Those incidents left at least 212 people injured, including 14 police personnel, according to the police document.

Special police unit Rapid Action Battalion has also deployed 700 patrol teams to intensify their vigilance.

Many independent candidates alleged that their supporters had been obstructed and their election campaign offices had been vandalised, while their rivals were issuing threats publicly or using social media.

In Sirajganj, New Age correspondent reported that supporters of ruling AL candidate Abdul Aziz for Sirajganj-3 constituency in Tarash on Friday carried out an attack on the supporters of AL independent candidate Shakhawat Hossain Sweet.

The incident left at least three people injured, while a supporter of the independent candidate filed a case with the Tarash police station later in the day. Abdul Aziz claimed that it was an internal clash between supporters of the independent candidate.

Tarash police station officer-in-charge Nazrul Islam said that they had arrested one person in this connection.

In Faridpur, at least two supporters of AL independent candidate AK Azad were beaten up on Friday morning by AL-nominated candidate Shamim Haque’s supporters.

At least twelve violent incidents were reported in this constituency in 10 days, according to the police report.

Azad’s election coordinator, Soyebul Islam, said that North Channel union Awami League president Mofazzal Hossain suddenly came with his people and beat up some of Azad’s supporters with locally made weapons.

Niaz Zaman Shajib, publicity secretary of Faridpur district Awami League, meanwhile, told New Age that two temporary election camps of boat symbol in the Faridpur-3 constituency were set on fire in the Shovarampur area of Faridpur town and Machar union of Sadar upazila on Thursday night.

Shahidul Islam, the officer-in-charge of Faridpur Kotwali police station, said they had received a verbal complaint about the incident, but none came up with any written complaints.

In Gopalganj, at least 20 people were injured in a clash between supporters of AL candidate Mohammad Faruk Khan and AL-backed independent candidate Kabir Miah in Moksedpur on Friday morning.

Moksedpur police station officer-in-charge Ashraful Alam said they had arrested Mochna union chairman Emdad Mollah in this connection.

New Age staff correspondent in Rajshahi reported that the Electoral Inquiry Committee for the Rajshahi-2 constituency issued a show-cause notice to ruling AL independent candidate Shafiqur Rahman Badsha for claiming himself as the AL-nominated candidate.

Some 1,900 candidates from the ruling AL, the Jatiya Party, the newly-formed Bangladesh Nationalist Movement, and independent candidates are among those contesting the election.

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies, who are not participating in the election, have urged people to refrain from voting.

The BNP and its allies are on the streets demanding the cancellation of the election and the government’s resignation by handing over power to a non-party caretaker administration to conduct the election.

The ruling party’s official candidates keep facing challenges from independent AL or dummy candidates in at least 185 parliamentary constituencies, in which at least 382 independent candidates are contesting.