No stop to post-poll violence in Bangladesh; several injured, house set ablaze

DHAKA: At least nine people were injured, and a house was set ablaze amid escalating incidents of post-election violence in five districts across Bangladesh, local media reported.

As violence intensified, six individuals sustained injuries after two groups of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) workers clashed in Lalpur upazila of the Natore district on Saturday night.

"At least six people were injured during the clash," Bangladesh's leading newspaper The Daily Star quoted Md Mojibar Rahman, officer-in-charge of Lalpur Police Station, as saying.

He stated that two suspects were arrested and a firearm was recovered from the scene, adding that a case was filed in connection with the incident.

In a separate incident, a BNP worker was injured in an attack allegedly carried out by members of Jamaat-e-Islami in Sherpur district's Sadar upazila.

The victim, 35-year-old Giasuddin Rasel, served as an election agent of BNP's defeated candidate for Sherpur-1, Sansila Jebrin Priyanka.

Additionally, a Jamaat worker was allegedly assaulted by BNP men in Dakkhin Bhabanipur village on Saturday in Daganbhuyan upazila of Feni district.

Citing his family, The Daily Star reported that the victim, Nurul Absar Belal, was attacked at his residence and was first taken to the local health complex before being shifted to Feni General Hospital.

Reports suggest that in the Jamalpur district, a local journalist, Shamsul Huda Ratan, was injured in an attack allegedly carried out by a leader of BNP's youth wing Jubo Dal on Saturday while covering post-poll violence in Dewanganj upazila.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Ratan said he went to Mondol Bazar in the morning to gather information about an incident of post-polls violence. Ratan alleged that Faruk Ahmed, senior joint convener of Dewanganj municipal unit Jubo Dal, along with his associates, attacked him.

"I am still ill. I will file a complaint with the police," he added.

In another act of violence, a gang reportedly torched the house of Jamaat supporter Shokor Akunji in Mashiali village under Phultala upazila in Khulna district on Saturday night. "We could not identify the attackers," said Shokor's son Abdur Razzak.  (IANS)

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