Around 26 people, including rebel Awami League candidate Abdul Quader, have been arrested in connection with the killing of a man during clashes between two factions of the party in the run-up to the Chattogram City civic polls slated for this month-end, police said Wednesday.

"Sleuths of the detective branch and local cops jointly carried out raids at several places and arrested the suspects early on Wednesday morning," said Sudip Kumar Das, officer-in-charge of the Double Mooring police station.

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"All the 26 suspects are being interrogated at the detective branch's office in Mansoorabad," he added.

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion and local cops had cordoned off the house of Abdul Quader alias Mas Quader in the Pathantuli area at 10 pm Tuesday, before carrying out the arrests in the early hours of Wednesday.

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On Monday morning, an argument broke out between the supporters of Awami League-backed councillor candidate Nazrul Islam Bahadur and rebel candidate Quader after a poster was torn down at Magpukur in the Pathantuli area. The argument soon turned violent when some members of the factions exchanged fire.

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A 52-year-old man, identified as Azgarh Ali Babul Sardar, a supporter of Nazrul Islam, dead on the spot after sustaining gunshot injuries during the violence, police said. An activist of Jubo League Mahbub, who also suffered bullet injuries, is being treated at Chattogram Medical College Hospital, Das said.

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When contacted, Nazrul Islam blamed the supporters of Abdul Quader for the clashes as well as the death of his supporter.