AL INTRA-PARTY CONFLICT IN BARISAL 6 hurt as Hasnat, Hiron groups clash

Policemen try to pacify the supporters of Abul Hasnat Abdullah and Shawkat Hossain Hiron, two Awami League leaders of Barisal, as they engage in a clash centring assault of party man in front of city party office in Barisal Monday. Photo: STAR

Policemen try to pacify the supporters of Abul Hasnat Abdullah and Shawkat Hossain Hiron, two Awami League leaders of Barisal, as they engage in a clash centring assault of party man in front of city party office in Barisal Monday.

Supporters of former Awami League chief whip Abul Hasnat Abdullah and former Barisal mayor Shawkat Hossain Hiron engaged in an intra-party clash in Barisal city Monday centring harassment of a party man in Dhaka last night.

At least six people including a sub-inspector were injured during the clash that ensued around 11:15am, reported our Barisal correspondent quoting Shakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Kotwali Police Station.

The clash is the consequence of an incident when supporters of Hasnat assaulted Mohiuddin Babul, a member of Barisal city AL unit and also a henchman of Hiron, at Metropolitan Hotel in Dhaka Sunday night, the OC said.

Babul came to Dhaka to attend a meeting of party President Sheikh Hasina.

The clash erupted when the supporters of both the groups came to the city party office in Bibirpukurpar area following Sunday’s incident leading an altercation, the police official added.

At one stage of altercation, the supporters of Hasnat started hurling chairs and tables on the followers of Hiron.

When both the groups resorted to vandalism, it triggered a clash that continued till filing the report around 1:30pm.

The situation deteriorated when the party men came out of their office and took to Sadar Road, adjacent to the party office.

On information, police came to the spot and lobbed several teargas canisters and sound grenades to disperse the marauding party men.

Mohiuddin (full name not known immediately), a sub-inspector of Kotwali Model Police Station, and five more AL activists were injured in the clash.

The traffic movement came to a halt on the Sadar Road following the clash.

Additional members of law enforcers including Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) have been deployed on the area.

Source: The Daily Star