Awami League leader stabbed in Bangladesh

A leader of the ruling Awami League party was stabbed in Bangladesh's Pirojpur district Sunday.

Motiur Rahman Hawlader, president of the party's Mirukhali Union chapter, was attacked on his way to the polling station at Helena Khatuna Higher Secondary School for Sunday's general elections, bdnews24.com reported.

He was first admitted to Mothbarhia Upazila (sub-district) Health Complex and later shifted to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barisal.

According to doctors, he suffered severe injuries.

The Awami League has blamed Jamaat-e-Islami activists for the attack.

Voting for the 10th parliamentary elections began at 8 a.m. Sunday amid a series of violent incidents in which at least eight people have been killed in various districts, including an election officer.

Explosions occurred outside two polling stations in Dhaka, injuring at least five people.

Polling was suspended at 136 centres due to attacks by anti-poll protestors.

Voting will continue till 4 p.m. at about 18,000 polling stations set in schools and other public buildings.

Mired in controversy, the parliamentary elections are being held in just 147 out of 300 seats in 59 out of 64 districts of the country. As many as 153 candidates have already been elected unopposed amid a boycott by the main opposition party and its allies.

Some 21 parties, including former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party are boycotting the elections over Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's refusal to introduce a non-party interim government to oversee the elections.