Five people were killed and 65 others injured in clashes in Chapainawabganj and Sirajganj districts on Friday.
In Chapainawabganj, three people were killed and over 20 others injured in a fierce clash between villagers and police at Shyampur Gopalnagar village in Shibganj upazila in the early hours.
The deceased were identified as Matiur Rahman, 45, Waliullah, 16, a madrasah student, and Rabiul Islam of the village.
Witnesses said a group of villagers chased police and encircled them when a team of Shibganj thana police went to the village around 3am to arrest some accused.
At one stage, the law enforcers opened fire on the villagers, killing the three people on the spot and inuring over 20 others, four with bullets.
Later, additional police, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and BGB members rushed to the village and rescued the policemen.
Meanwhile, the local unit of Jamaat-e-Islami claimed the deceased to its activists though the villagers said they were not involved in politics.
The district unit of the Islamist party called a daylong hartal in the district for Sunday protesting the killing.
District Jamaat Ameer Nazrul Islam announced the hartal on Friday morning.
In Sirajganj, two people were killed and 45 others, including two journalists and three cops, injured in a triangular clash involving BNP-Jamaat and Awami League activists and police at Kalyanpur Bazar village in Belkuchi upazila on Friday morning.
Of the injured, nine sustained bullet wounds.
The deceased were identified as BNP activist Faridul, 19, son of Abdul Majid of Sarbatulsi village, and Shibir activist Yunus, 18, son of Abdul Hamid of Kalyanpur village in the upazila.
Witnesses said the activists of BNP and Jamaat-Shibir tried to snatch Jamaat leader Habibur Rahman, an accused in a vandalism and arson case, from the custody of police at Kalyanpur Bazar when the law enforcers were taking him to the police station after arresting him from Mabupur village around 10:30am, triggering a clash.
Soon the ruling party men joined the clash. A chase and counter chase took place during the melee.
At one stage, police fired 143 rounds of teargas shells, 25 rounds of bullets and rubber bullets to bring the situation under control, leaving 47 people injured, including nine with bullets.
The injured include BTV and My TV district correspondents.
Several crude bombs were also exploded and several shops and the house of Awami League leader Mamun vandalised during the triangular clash.
Of the bullet-hit, Faridul and Yunus succumbed to their injuries on the way to Ullapara Upazila Health Complex. The other injured were admitted to different hospital and clinics.
Meanwhile, the BNP-led 18-party alliance called a half-day hartal in the district for Sunday protesting its two activists.
A tense situation was prevailing in the area. Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) members and additional police have been deployed in the area to avert further trouble.
Source: UNBConnect
