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A BNP leader has died during an altercation with Jamaat-e-Islami activists outside a polling centre in Khulna.
The BNP says that he died when a Jamaat leader “pushed him” into a tree and hurt him. The Jamaat leader claims that the victim “fell ill” amid the unrest.
The victim has been identified as Mohibuzzaman Kochi, 55, a former office secretary of the Khulna city unit of the BNP. He lives in the city’s Haji Mohsin Road area.
The incident took place at 8:10 am on Thursday at the Alia Madrasah polling station in Khulna Sadar, bdnews24.com reports.
Former organising secretary of Khulna Sadar Thana BNP Yusuf Harun Majnu said, “There was tension at the Alia Madrasah polling station since the morning. The principal of Alia Madrasa was campaigning for Jamaat there.
“When he was obstructed, he pushed Mohibuzzaman Kochi. He struck a tree and hit his head. That is why he died.”
Denying the allegations, Khulna Alia Madrasah Principal Abdur Rahim Mia said, “I was entering my house after voting at the Soburannesa (Mohila College) polling centre. Then I saw some women being thrown out. I asked everyone to leave. I did not push anyone.”
Jamaat Centre Director Mahbubur Rahman said, “The BNP people were throwing out our female workers. I stopped them. Then one of them fell ill. I heard later on that he died.”
Sadar Police Station Sub-Inspector Khan Faisal Rafi, who is in charge of the centre, said: “In the morning, when tensions sparked between BNP and Jamaat supporters near the Alia Madrasa Academic Building centre, we went to the scene and separated the two sides.
“Then one person was seen being taken away in an autorickshaw. There was no incident of pushing or fighting here.”
Saiful Islam, the presiding officer of the centre, said: “The incident happened outside the centre. This is not my business.”
However, BNP candidate Nazrul Islam Manju alleged that Kochi died after he was “pushed by a Jamaat leader”.
“We are demanding the arrest of the principal and Jamaat leader Mahbub.”
Advocate Sheikh Jahangir Hussain Helal, the Jamaat candidate for Khulna-2, said that since the incident took place inside the polling centre, it should have been caught on CCTV camera. "If anyone is responsible for this, they should be punished based on the evidence from the CCTV footage."