Rival AL men clash over placing wreaths at Shaheed Minar

At least 10 people were injured as two factions of Chandanaish upazila unit of Awami League (AL) clashed yesterday afternoon.

Of the injured, Selim Uddin, 27, a Juba League activist, was first admitted to Chandanaish Upazila Health Complex and then shifted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH)  police and AL leaders said, adding that the other injured were given primary treatment.

Sources said there was an altercation and scuffle between the two factions -- one led by local AL upazila unit president Jahedul Islam Jahangir and the other by general secretary Abu Ahmed -- over placing wreaths at the Shaheed Minar on the occasion of Independence Day.

As a sequel to that, the two groups again locked in a clash at around 1:00pm when AL activists from different areas were coming to attend a meeting organised on the occasion of the Independence Day in the upazila headquarters.

Being informed, police rushed to the spot and dispersed the clashing groups.

Shop owners in the area closed their shops when a faction put up barricades on Gachbaria-Chandanaish-Anwara road for an hour from 1:30pm, demanding punishment of the attackers, locals said.

Jahangir alleged that activists loyal to Abu Ahmed attacked his supporters following the altercation over placing wreaths at the Shaheed Minar.

"I was not at the Shaheed Minar as I returned from Omrah Hajj yesterday," Jahangir said, adding that he informed the police when he heard of the attack on his supporters by Abu's men.

Contacted, Gazi Shakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Chandanaish Police Station, denied that AL activists put up barricades on the road.

Contacted, Abu Ahmed denied the allegation that his supporters attacked Jahangir's men. "Selim and other miscreants who are supporters of Jahangir attacked my supporters. Selim was injured when local people resisted them," he said, adding that they are making false accusations against him for political interest.

Contacted, local AL lawmaker Nazrul Islam Chowdhury said a chase and counter-chase took place between the supporters of the president and the general secretary of the upazila unit of AL, but police brought the situation under control immediately.