Death toll climbs to three in Narsingdi polls violence

A 45-year-old supporter of an Awami League-backed candidate was allegedly shot dead in Narsingdi as voting for the second phase of the union parishad (UP) polls kicked off in Bangladesh on Thursday morning.

The deceased was identified as Dulal Mia, a resident of Bashgari village and supporter of Ashraful Islam, an Awami League-backed candidate for the post of chairman in Bashgari UP under Raipura upazila.

Azizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Raipura Police Station, said the supporters of AL revel candidate Zakir Hossain shot Dulu while he was on his way to the Bashgari UP Complex around 7 am, leaving him dead.

"They also hit Dulu with a fishing spear to ensure his death," the OC said, adding that the body has been sent it to local hospital morgue for an autopsy.

Voting for the second phase of the UP polls is currently underway in Bangladesh, with over 41,000 candidates in the fray for different posts.

Polling began in 835 of 848 UPs at 8am on Thursday and will continue till 4pm.

A total of 81 chairman candidates have already been elected unopposed. Similarly, all contestants -- for chairman and member posts, and reserved seats -- in five UPs were elected uncontested.

More than 41,000 candidates, including 3,310 contenders for the post of chairman, are contesting in the countrywide second phase UP election.

Some 28,747 candidates are contesting for the member posts and 9,161 women for the reserved seats in the UPs.

But 203 member candidates and 73 women candidates for reserved seats were elected unopposed in this phase.

There are nearly 16.6 million voters -- 8,405,831 men, 8,189,379 women and 16 transgender (Hijra) -- under 8,492 polling stations in these UPs.