At least 30 people, including five policemen, were injured when two groups of the ruling Awami League clashed at Shariatpur’s Jazeera on Wednesday.
In the four-hour long clash starting around noon, at least 30 shops were ransacked, over 100 crude bombs were detonated and several rounds of gunshots were exchanged, police said.
Shariatpur’s Assistant Superintendent of Police Abdus Sattar said Jazeera police OC Nazmul Islam, constables Shahjahan, ‘Sumon’, Ataur Rahman, Sub Inspector Azhar Hossain had been injured in the clashes.
OC Islam said the clashes stemmed from tension between ruling MP Mozammel Haq and the district Awami League unit Vice President Mobarak Ali Sikdar over the detention of a Chhatra League activist.
“Several crude bombs were hurled at police injuring at least five policemen as the law keepers moved in to rein in violence,” he told bdnews24.com.
“Riot police were called in to quell the disturbance. Police fired over 50 rounds of blank shots to disperse the attackers,” he added.
OC Islam said six homemade bombs had been recovered from the spot.
The injured had been hospitalised.
Jazeera Upazila Juba League convenor Mukul Kha said tension brewed with the detention of Mobarak Sikdar’s supporter and Jazeera Degree College’s Chhatra League activist Imran. Around noon, a group of Sikdar’s supporters attacked a recreation room of local MP Haq.
Later, nearly 500 activists from the two groups clashed with sharp weapons.
Sikdar alleged the MP had, in fact, set up a place for his henchmen in the guise of the recreation room.
He claimed the people had thwarted the attacks by the MP’s supporters on his men.
The MP alleged people with vested interest had beat up two of his supporters.
Source: Bd news24