The United States has encouraged the government of Bangladesh to investigate any report of violence thoroughly, transparently and impartially and to hold the perpetrators of violence to account.

"I would say that this type of political violence has no place in democratic elections," US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told in a regular briefing in Washington on Monday (17 July) when the assault on Hero Alom during yesterday's Dhaka-17 by-election was raised.

Miller also said they would expect the government of Bangladesh to hold free and fair elections. "And we continue to monitor it closely," he said.

Mohammad Ali Arafat, who won the Dhaka-17 by-polls, said what happened "just 20 minutes before the end of the election is uncalled for."

"I strongly condemn it. The involved parties could not be Awami League's well-wishers. It was done with the intention of maligning the election," he said.

The culprits should be arrested and brought to justice, Arafat said.

Ashraful Alom, better known as "Hero Alom," an independent candidate contesting the Dhaka-17 by-election, was physically assaulted while leaving a polling centre in the Banani area on July 17.

Hero Alom was attacked by some miscreants in the afternoon while he was leaving the Banani Bidyaniketan School polling centre. He returned home after receiving treatment at a hospital.