"I am mentally upset. I feel helpless and am worried about my safety. I don't know what to do," Mandal

told The Daily Star in a stifled voice at his house in Faokal village under Gazipur Municipality.

Like Mandal, around 200 Hindu voters of that village had decided to keep away from the by-polls for fear of reprisal from the ruling party men.

Learning of the situation, Gazipur Municipality Chairman AKM Mozammel Hauqe visited the area yesterday morning, assured the frightened religious minority members of their safety and asked them to participate in the voting.

Finally, some of them plucked up courage and went to the polling centre at Bhanua Primary School to register their votes, where they alleged BNP activists mocked, humiliated and intimidated them.

"A BNP man laughed at me when I was returning home after casting my ballot. He also threatened me saying if I had not voted for sheaf of paddy [election symbol of four-party coalition candidate) they would come to my house again at the dead of night," Champa Karani, 30, a Hindu woman of the village said.

Shova Rani Mollik, 35, narrated a similar tale and alleged that her husband had been injured as BNP musclemen beat him with sticks in the early hours yesterday.

Police officials on election duty said they did hear about the night attacks on Hindu houses but hours later. But, no such incident occurred yesterday in daytime, they claimed.

Talking to The Daily Star Amulla Mandal, a former employee of Vowal College, said he was not involved with any political party. "But as we are Hindus, the ruling coalition members think we will definitely vote for Awami League."

"We had been apprehending such attacks for the last few days and could not sleep on Saturday night," Mandal added.

Describing the attack, he said, a group of 15 to 20 men came to his house at 3:30am and called him by his name to come out. The caller also used some Awami League activists' names to persuade him. As he did not respond, the group started to pillage his property including the corrugated tin-made house.

"In loud voice, they warned me that if I go to vote they will kill me," Mandal alleged.

Local Hindus said they respect Mandal as their opinion leader and consult him on their problems and seek advice time to time. If he does not exercise his franchise, others too will follow him, they noted.

Adhikar, an election observation organisation, in its preliminary report on the by-election, also cited the allegation that at least 20 to 25 Hindu women voters could not exercise their franchise as some miscreants chased them away from the polling station at Naga Community Primary School in Kawltia Union.

"The Hindu women did not return to vote," Adhikar quoted Digendra Mandal as saying.