A crude bomb exploded at a polling centre in Bangladesh's Gopalganj Sadar during voting on Thursday, injuring two security personnel and a child and damaging the main gate of the facility, officials said.
The blast occurred around 9 am at the Reshma International School polling centre in Sadar upazila. The injured were identified as Ansar member Sukontha Majumdar, Section Commander Jamal Hossain, who was on duty at the site, and a 13-year-old child, Amena Khanam, who had accompanied a voter.
Sub-Inspector Jahidul Islam, on duty at the polling centre, confirmed that voting was proceeding peacefully around 9.00 am (local time) when miscreants threw a cocktail bomb at the facility from across a nearby canal.
He added that evidence was collected from the site, and higher authorities were notified. The situation at the polling centre remains under control.
In a separate incident, a crude bomb exploded at Makhati Gurucharan High School in Mollakandi Union of Sadar upazila, Munshiganj, followed by a brief chase between rival supporters, officials said, as cited by the Dhaka Tribune.
The incident occurred around 11.00 am (local time) on Thursday, according to Munshiganj Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge Md Mominul Islam, who said supporters of BNP-backed candidate Kamruzzaman (Sheaf of Paddy symbol) and independent candidate Mohiuddin were involved. He could not confirm if anyone was injured.
Meanwhile, BNP Metropolitan leader Mohibuzzaman Kochi, 60, died on Thursday morning while going to cast his vote at a polling station in Khulna. The incident occurred around 9 am at the Khulna Alia Madrasa polling centre, police and party sources said.
Kochi, a former office secretary of Khulna Metropolitan BNP, reportedly fell and hit his head after a scuffle with members of a rival party inside the polling centre. He was taken to a private medical college hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Metropolitan BNP media cell convener Mizanur Rahman said Kochi had been suffering from heart disease. According to the party, there was tension at the centre as Alia Madrasa principal Abdur Rahim, campaigning for Jamaat, was stopped by Kochi, leading to the confrontation.
Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Masudur Rahman described it as a minor incident and said law enforcement personnel were immediately deployed. Voting at the centre is continuing.
