Poll violence in Bangladesh claims 4

By Our Special Correspondent

DHAKA, OCT. 1. Nationwide polling in Bangladesh's eighth general elections was held today amid reports of sporadic violence in which at least 4 persons were killed and nearly five hundred injured.

The Election Commission suspended voting in at least 40 centres across the country, following armed clashes, snatching of ballot boxes, fake voting and clashes between rival parties.

But the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr. M. A. Sayed, told presspersons that polling was quite peaceful and the people took part in the elections like they would in a festival, voting spontaneously.

Reports suggested a huge voter turn-out - both in towns and villages - which might cross the turn-out of 74.96 per cent in the 1996 general elections. Over 75 million voters voted for 1,935 candidates belonging to more than 50 parties. But the main contestants are the Awami League and the BNP-led four-party rightist alliance. Elections were held in 299 out of 300 constituencies. Polling was countermanded in one constituency due to the death of a candidate.

Despite unprecedented security measures, which involved more than 4 lakh police personnel, the Bangladesh Rifles and paramilitary personnel, in addition to 55,000 Army personnel, there were reports of booth-capturing, intimidation and fake voting. Many voters, belonging to the minority community, failed to cast their votes due to threats, the Awami League and the minority leaders claimed.

The election monitoring cell of the Awami League complained that in many places, its polling agents were forced to leave or the polling booths were captured by their rivals. And some smaller parties, which are unofficial allies of the Awami League, have charged the security personnel with being ``partisan.'' The BNP- led alliance is yet to react to the charge.

Reports of violent clashes were reported mainly from Barisal, where two persons were killed and more than a hundred injured. Violence was also reported from Bhola, Laxmipur, Ramgati, Sirajgonj, Kusthia, Bheramara, Jamalpur, Syedpur and Sylhet. The Awami League claimed that the dead included a polling agent of its supporters.

The former Prime Ministers, Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda Zia, cast their votes in Dhaka, where polling was extremely peaceful. Speaking to mediapersons, both were optimistic about forming the next Government. The chief of the non-party caretaker Government, Mr. Justice Latifur Rahman, who also cast his vote in the capital, said his effort to hold a neutral election had succeeded.

More than 3 lakh observers, including 300 foreigners, were present. The final results of the elections are likely to be cleared by Tuesday.

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