BNP factional clash leaves at least 15 injured in Pabna's Ishwardi

At least 15 people, including two police officers, were injured when two rival factions of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) clashed today over supremacy in Ishwardi municipality.

During the violence, dozens of motorbikes were vandalised, two set on fire, and a local party office attacked.

Police later arrested nine suspects based on video footage.

The clash erupted around 12:30pm near the Ishwardi Rail Gate and Post Office More areas, where supporters of Pabna District BNP Convener Habibur Rahman Habib and followers of expelled leader Zakaria Pintu held separate protest rallies.

Both groups had earlier traded blame in press conferences over recent attacks on their supporters.

Additional Superintendent of Police (Ishwardi Circle) Pranab Kumar said, “Both groups attacked each other with sticks and hurled brick chips, turning the area into a battlefield. Police rushed to intervene but were caught in the middle.”

He confirmed that 10–15 people were injured.

"My arm was hurt while I was trying to stop the fighting," he added.

Among the injured were SI Ataul Alam.

Victims received treatment at Ishwardi Upazila Health Complex and other local hospitals.

​Both Habibur Rahman and Zakaria Pintu could not be reached for a statement.

Police said Habib’s election campaign office was attacked during the chaos. Internal BNP friction has intensified since the 13th parliamentary election, where Habib and Pintu contested against each other but both lost to the Jamaat-e-Islami candidate in Pabna-4.