Polls suspended in Narsingdi’s Raipura over candidate’s death

The Election Commission has suspended Upazila Parishad elections in Narsingdi’s Raipura, scheduled to be held on May 29, during the third phase of the local government polls.

The watchdog declared the suspension after Sumon Mia, a vice chairperson candidate, died in an attack allegedly carried out by the supporters of a rival candidate in the Upazila’s Paratali Union.

The commission issued a notice in this regard signed by its Deputy Secretary Atiar Rahman, who is in charge of the election, on Thursday.

Dhaka Region Additional Election Officer and Raipura Upazila Returning Officer Md Mosharaf Hossain said the commission suspended the polls in Narsingdi’s Raipura Upazila over the death of Sumon Mia, the vice chairman candidate running under the lock symbol.

Earlier on Wednesday, Sumon and his supporters came under attack while campaigning in the remote Mamderkandi area in Paratali Union. The supporters of Abid Hasan Rubel, another vice chairman candidate with the optical glasses symbol, were alleged over the incident.

The 40-year-old Sumon was once a joint general secretary of Narsingdi Government College’s Chhatra League unit.

A total of five chairman candidates, three vice chairman candidates and two female vice chairman candidates were vying for the posts in Raipura Upazila.