Shawdesh Desk:

At least nine people were killed and several others injured in clashes between supporters of candidates during third phase of the union parishad polls on Sunday.

Of the deceased, three were killed in Thakurgaon, two in Munshiganj and one each in Narsingdi, Khulna, Lakshmipur and Jashore districts.

In Narsingdi, Arif Mia, 24, driver of a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, was killed in police firing in Chanderkandi union of Raipura upazila in the district.

In Munshiganj, two people were killed in post-polls violence in two unions under sadar upazila.

Shakil Mollah, 30, was killed in a clash between supporters of Arfa Begum and Rabeya Begum, candidates for reserved seats for women in Banglabazar union. Shakil, a supporter of Rabeya, died after being stabbed indiscriminately.

He was brought dead to Munshiganj General Hospital around 7:30pm, said doctor Shaibal Bashak of the hospital.

Reazul Sheikh, 70, was a cousin of an independent chairman candidate Ali Siddique, was beaten to death by supporters of rival independent candidate Golam Mostofa in Panchasar union.

In Thakurgaon’s Pirganj, Shahaboli, 35, Muja Mohammad, 30 and Aditya (33) were killed and five others injured in Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) firing at Ghidhob Government Primary School polling centre over vandalism of the polling centre by supporters of an independent.

In Lakshmipur, Sajjad Hossian Sajib, president of Chhatra League in Ramgati upazila’s Ischapur union, was killed in a clash between supporters of AL chairman candidate Shahnaz Akter and party rebel Amir Hossain Khan.

Sajib died when he was being rushed to Dhaka around 5:00pm, said Mohammad Riaz, a relative of the deceased.

In Khulna, Babul Shikder, 38, a supporter of AL chairman candidate Md Mohsin in Madhupur union of Terokhada upazila, was killed in poll violence. He had sustained injuries in pre-polls violence on Saturday night.

Mohsin alleged that some supporters of party rebel candidate for the union’s chairman post Kamal Hossain attacked his supporter Babul and stabbed him.

Babul was taken to Khulna Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead yesterday morning, said Mohsin.

In Jashore, Qutub Uddin, 30, was killed in a clash between AL chairman candidate Hassan Firoz Tinku and independent Altaf Hossain, in Kayba union of Sharsha upazila.

At least 10 people were injured in a clash between two member candidates outside a centre at Char Kukuri Mukri UP in Char Fashion Upazila of Bhola district. A clash between supporters of AL candidates and party rebels left 10 injured at Merung union of Diginala upazila of Khagracharhi.

With the eight victims, at least 54 people have been killed in polls violence over the staggered UP polls, which began in June.

Seventeen of them were killed in the third phase, 30 during the second phase, held on November 11, and six in the first phase of the elections on June 21 and September 21, according to media reports.

Nine-hundred and eight-six union parishads went to polls yesterday. Among the 9,873 centres, voting was suspended at 21. Voter turnout was around 70 percent, claim Election Commission sources.