A man was killed and several dozens were injured in the fourth-phase municipal elections on Sunday as the polling was marked by violence, irregularities and boycott by opposition candidates.

According to the New Age correspondent in Chattogram, a man was killed and eight others were injured in a clash between the supporters of two councillor candidates in the Patiya municipality polls, both local leaders of the ruling Awami League.

The AL did not formally give support to any of the councillor candidates.

The deceased was identified as Md Abdul Mabud, brother of the councillor candidate Md Abdul Mannan of ward-8.

Confirming the incident, Patiya circle additional superintendent of police Tarique Rahman said that it took place at South Gobindorkhil of Patiya.

Local people said that supporters of ward-8 councillor candidates Md Abdul Mannan and Sarwar Kamal Mosleh Uddin Razib got engaged in clashes at South Gobindorkhil around the noon. Both groups fired bullets at each other.

Meanwhile, Jatiya Party mayoral candidate Md Shamsul Alam for Patiya municipality announced at about 2:00 pm that he boycotted the polls.

But, addressing a press conference at the Nirbachon Bhaban in the capital, Election Commission secretary Humayun Kabir Khandaker said that the commission considered the polls to be ‘good’.

He accused the candidates of their involvement in the murder in Patiya municipality.

‘The death is very unfortunate. The clash took place outside the polling station and it did not hamper the polling environment,’ he said.

He disclosed that the commission suspended the voting in four centres in Narsingdi, one centre in Sonaimuri of Noakhali and seven centres in Shariatpur.

Besides Abdul Mabud, at least four other people, including a councillor-elect, have so far been killed in the electoral violence in various parts of the country while over a hundred people have been injured.

Clashes were also reported from other districts while rival AL mayor and councillor candidates boycotted the polls in several municipalities and wards.

Like the previous three phases of the staggered municipal polls, AL candidates are set to win most of the mayoral posts in the fourth phase of the polls held at 55 municipalities on Sunday.

In this phase, the AL mayor candidate and all the councillor candidates it backed have been elected unopposed in Parshuram municipality under Feni.

According to our correspondents, at least 20 mayoral candidates boycotted the polls in protest against rigging and other irregularities.

Our Tangail correspondent reports: At least 10 people were injured in a clash between supporters of the AL and Bangladesh Nationalist Party mayor candidates in the Haripur Government Primary School polling centre area in Kalihati municipality.

Our Khagrachari correspondent reports: At least five people, including the BNP mayor candidate’s brother, were injured in an attack allegedly made by AL activists in the Matiranga municipality polls.

In Lalmonirhat, at least six people were injured in a series of chase and counter-chase between supporters of rival mayor and councillor candidates in Lalmonirhat municipality.

Clashes took place at the polling centres at Shaheed Shahjahan Colony Government Primary School, Church of God High School, Gias Uddin High School and Batrish Hazari Government Primary School.