Chhatra Dal turf war in Comilla creates panic

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Explosions rocked Comilla city during the Chhatra Dal turf war Dhaka Tribune

Two factions of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, clashed in Comilla city on Sunday, setting off dozens of homemade bombs and spreading panic among the residents.

The clashes, which included running battles and brickbat hurling apart from the blasts, occurred in front of the BNP office in Kandirpar area, apparently over the formation of the committees of metropolitan and Comilla south units of the party’s student wing.

There were, however, no reports of any casualties.

The two groups that clashed were supporters of BNP’s Comilla south unit General Secretary Amin-ur-Rashid Yasin and Comilla city Mayor Monirul Haque Sakku.

Chhatra Dal’s Comilla south unit General Secretary Tofael Ahmed said: “Even though BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been imprisoned for months, the mayor’s supporters did not participate in any protest programs. They are ruling party supporters. They do not even have any cases against them.”

“Today (Sunday), when we went to the party office after a protest program, we found the door locked. As we tried to unlock the door, they started throwing bombs at us,” he said.

However, Mayor Sakku’s supporter and metropolitan Jubo Dal General Secretary Yusuf Mollah Tipu said: “The office was locked in protest of formation of pocket committees in the Chhatra Dal metropolitan and Comilla south units. These people were only stopped from getting into the office.”

Confirming the clashes, Kotwali model police station Inspector Salahuddin said police had to fire 41 rounds of rubber bullets to disperse the battling Chhatra Dal factions and bring the situation under control.

He said a case would be filed over the incident.

BNP Comilla south unit’s Organizing Secretary Mostak Mia said: “A new committee has been formed after a long time. There were fewer posts but lots of candidates. Not getting the coveted post has created some rift and misunderstandings between the aspirants.”

On June 5, the new 15-member committee of Chhatra Dal Comilla metropolitan unit, with Riaz Uddin Riaz as the president and Farid Uddin Shiblu as general secretary, was formed.

The same day, the new 11-member committee of the Comilla south unit, with Nadimur Rahman Shishir as the president and Tofael as general secretary, was created.

Source: Dhaka Tribune.