The incident took place in front of Ataturk School Market in Daganbhuiyan Municipality on Wednesday afternoon. The injured have been treated at various hospitals in the upazila.
According to police and sources from both sides, tension had been brewing between the groups of upazila BNP convener Akbar Hossain and former district Chhatra Dal leader Kazi Jamsedur Rahman Fatik since morning over the celebration of BNP’s founding anniversary.
Additional police were deployed at various locations in the city following the incident. In the afternoon, when leaders and activists of the conflicting Akbar Group were leaving the local Ataturk School auditorium after finishing a discussion meeting to mark the BNP’s founding anniversary, people from the rival Fatik Group started chasing them, shouting ‘fake, fake’ and throwing bottles at them.
At that time, shoes were thrown from the other side, and the two sides got into a clash. Later, one side hurled bricks like rain at the other side. It is claimed that 35-40 people from the Akbar group, including two journalists named Sakhawat Hossain Tipu and Fakhrul Islam, and 10-12 people from the Fatik group were injured. Akbar and Fatik groups have blamed each other for the attack.
Jamshedur Rahman Fatik, the former expelled vice-president of the district Chhatra Dal, told Amar Desh that when his people got agitated when the opponents attacked them while they were taking out a rally, he stopped them. At least 10-12 people from his group, including Naimur Rahman, Riaz, Humayun Ahmed, Rabbi, and Raihan, were injured. Rabbi is undergoing treatment in the hospital.
Daganbhuiyan Upazila BNP convener Akbar Hossain told reporters that the expelled Phatik was attacked with weapons while leaving the meeting after the discussion meeting to mark the founding anniversary. His wife, Upazila BNP Vice President Shahin Akbar, Municipal Jubo Dal member secretary Iqbal Sujan, Upazila Chhatra Dal member secretary Manik, Municipal Swechchhasebak Dal convener Nizam Haider, Upazila Sramik Dal former convener M Saiful Islam Dulal and 35-40 leaders and activists of their party were injured in the attack.
Daganbhuiyan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Muhammad Faizul Azim Noman said that additional police were deployed at various places since morning due to fear of clashes. After that, the two sides clashed with each other. The situation is currently calm.
