50 hurt as rival villagers lock in fierce clash
Shops, vehicles damaged; 34 held in Gopalganj
One of the several shops vandalised during clashes between supporters of the incumbent chairman of Kathi union parishad (UP) under Gopalganj Sadar upazila and a former chairman of the same UP at Kathibazar in Gopalganj town on Saturday night.Photo: STAR
Over 50 people were injured in a fierce clash between the supporters of incumbent and former union parished (UP) chairmen over a game of carom in the district town Saturday night. During the three-hour clash at Kathibazar, 20 shops and a number of vehicles, including a police car, were vandalised. Police fired over 100 shotgun and rubber bullets and lobbed teargas shells to bring the situation under control. They later picked up at least 34 people from different areas of the town in connection with the clash. Police said, two groups of villagers locked in an altercation while playing carom at Kathibazar around 6:00pm. Witnesses said, at a stage, the supporters of Mezbahuddin Chowdhury, chairman of Kathi union, and former chairman Quamrul sided with the rival groups. Hundreds of people gathered at Kathibazar and started fighting when the aides of Mezbahuddin and Quamrul called their supporters through loudspeakers of the local mosque. After some time, villagers from Manihar, Raipasha, Bhojorgati and Teligati of the union also joined the clashing groups. More than 50 people including DB police Soyed Ali and Azharul Hossain of Sadar police station were injured during the clash. Both the groups used locally made lethal weapons including spears to attack their rivals. At least three people were hit by spears, witnesses said. As per the instruction of Executive Magistrate SM Sarwar Kamal, police fired bullets and teargas shells at the villagers and brought the situation under control around 9:00pm, said Dalil Uddin, sub-inspector of Detective Branch of police of Gopalganj. Md Borhan Uddin, officer in-charge of Gopalganj Sadar police station, said they were continuing their drive to arrest 'the organisers' of the clash. Of the injured, 13 were admitted to 250-bed Gopalganj Sadar Hospital while the rest took treatment at different local clinics to avoid arrest.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments