A total of 27 people were killed and 3,136 injured in Union Parishad election related violence from May 6 to June 20, reveals the UP polls observation report of Democracy Watch released on Monday.
The report based on the organization's own monitoring network and reports in five leading national dailies also said that a total of 436 people were arrested, 15 were bullet-hit and a some 2,754 cases were lodged in these connections during the time.
The report was made to depict the pre- and post-polls and election-day violence, political revenge, number of dead and injured persons and places, causes and types of violence, said the release.
The 27 persons were killed in Gopalganj, Sirajganj, Jaypurhat, Noakhali, Kurigram, Cox's Bazar, Gaibandha, Chandpur, Brahminbaria, Narsingdi, Tangail, Shariatpur, Madaripur, Bagarhat, Pabna, Narail, Comilla, Rangpur, Jhinaidah, Bogra, Faridpur and Rajbari districts, said the report.
The report mentioned defeated candidates' intolerant mentality, altercation between supporters of the rival candidates, bid to capture vote centers, previous political conflicts, stopping the election at the eleventh hour, uncontrolled attitude of winning candidates' supporters and establishing supremacy in the areas as the reasons behind the violence.
The report mentioned that violence took place between supporters of two rival candidates and between the supporters of winning and defeated candidates, for attack to snatch ballot papers, policemen's baton charging and opening fire to stop violence, violence centering election campaign and attacks on winning candidates' family members.
Source : New Age
