9 BCL men hurt in factional clash
At least nine activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) were injured as two rival factions of the ruling party backed student body clashed at the district town Sunday night.
The injured are Sahin, 23, Ruman, 21, Safiq, 20, Kashem, 19, Kowel, 19, Mithun, 22, Zakaria, 18, Nazrul, 20, and Faruq,22.
Of them Zakaria, Nazrul and Faruq belong to Arifuzzaman Rony group. Rony is former vice president of district unit BCL, also son of advocate Shahjahan Mia, state minister for religious affairs. Others are supporters of Dr Shafiqul Islam, mayor of Patuakhali municipality.
Police, party men and locals said, Zakaria and Faruq beat up Shahin, a supporter of Dr Shafiq at about 4:00 pm on Sunday on TB Clinic Road and took away his cell phone. The activists of Rony group also attacked Jewel's house at about 8:00 pm on the day as he protested the matter. Later at about 9:00 pm, over 20/25 BCL activists led by Rony himself besieged the health care clinic owned by mayor Shafiq.
Hearing the matter, supporters of the mayor rushed to the clinic and chased Rony group and both groups locked in a clash for about an hour. All the shops in the adjacent areas pulled their shutters down in panic.
Police and Rab rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
Mayor Shafiq, also secretary for Shadhinata Chikitsok Parishad later alleged that a gang led by Rony attacked his men. They also tried to attack my clinic, he alleged.
This correspondent tried to contact Rony several times but his cell phone was found switched off.
No case was filed till filing of the report at about 4:00pm yesterday.
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