Bangladesh elections: BNP leader Mohibuzzaman Kochi dies outside polling station; party alleges push by Jamaat leader led to death
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Bangladesh elections: BNP leader Mohibuzzaman Kochi dies outside polling station; party alleges push by Jamaat leader led to death")
BNP party worker Mohibuzzaman Kochi killed Photograph: (WION Web Desk)
Violence has cast a shadow over Bangladesh’s election day after a BNP leader died outside a polling station in Khulna during a confrontation between rival supporters. Was it a fatal push, sudden illness, or political blame game? Here's what we know.
As Bangladesh goes to elections, a local leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) died on Thursday (Feb 12) morning after tensions between rival political supporters erupted outside a polling centre in Khulna during voting. The deceased, identified as 55-year-old Mohibuzzaman Kochi, as per reports, was a former office secretary of the Khulna city unit of the BNP and a resident of the Haji Mohsin Road area in the city. The incident took place around 8:00 am near the academic building of Khulna Alia Madrasah, which was serving as a polling station in Khulna Sadar.
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How did he die?
BNP leaders allege that Kochi died after being pushed during a confrontation with activists linked to Jamaat-e-Islami. Yusuf Harun Majnu, former organising secretary of the Sadar Thana BNP, claimed tensions had been building at the polling station since early morning. "There was tension at the Alia Madrasah polling station since the morning. The principal of Alia Madrasa was campaigning for Jamaat there," he said.
According to him, Kochi confronted the principal of Alia Madrasah, who pushed him into a tree, killing him. "When he was obstructed, he pushed Mohibuzzaman Kochi. He struck a tree and hit his head. That is why he died," Majnu said.
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Conflicting claims emerge over Mohibuzzaman Kochi's death
Jamaat-e-Islami representatives, however, rejected the allegations. Jamaat centre director Mahbubur Rahman said the situation escalated after BNP supporters allegedly tried to force Jamaat’s female activists away from the polling area.
"The BNP men were forcing Jamaat women activists out of the centre, and when they obstructed them, one of them fell sick, and later, we heard he died," Rahman said, adding that no physical clash took place.
Khulna Alia Madrasah principal Abdur Rahim Mia also denied pushing anyone, saying he had only intervened after noticing disorder near the polling station. "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," he claimed, as quoted by BD News 24.
