25 hurt in fresh post-poll clash in Rangpur
At least 25 people were injured during a clash between the supporters of an elected councillor and a defeated councillor candidate in the city yesterday.
Altaf Hossain, officer-in-charge of Rangpur Kotwali Police Station, said Shahjalal Karim Bakul of Babukha area was elected councillor of Ward No 22 in the recently held Rangpur City Corporation election, defeating his rival candidate Hakibuzzaman Bakul of Goneshpur in the same ward.
Following an altercation between some supporters of Shahjalal and Hakibuzzaman at noon, people belonging to both sides, equipped with bamboo sticks, iron rods and sharp weapons locked in a fierce clash.
At least 25 people from the clashing groups sustained injuries during the clash that continued for half an hour from 12:00noon. Being informed, police rushed to the spot and charged batons to disperse the feuding groups.
The law enforcers also arrested 30 people of the two rival groups from the spot.
Four of the injured--Lebu, Sujon, Jhony and Shimul--were admitted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital in a critical condition while rest given first aid at the hospital.
Zakir Hossain, assistant superintendent of police, said police have been deployed in the ward to avert any further incident.
On December 22, post-election clash between the supporters of two defeated councillor candidates left a man dead and 15 others injured Kishamat-Bishu area in the city.
Police and local people said the supporters of Belal Hossain and Shamsul Alam, two councillor candidates from Ward No 31, blamed each other for their defeat in the city corporation election soon after the results were announced on the night of December 20.
As a sequel to the altercation, Shamsul's men equipped with lethal weapons attacked the house of Belal at Kishamat-Bishu area in the city at around 11:00am on December 22, prompting his supporters to retaliate.
One of the injured named Dalim Hossain, 40, supporter of Belal, succumbed to his injuries at Rangpur medical College Hospital at around 6:00pm on the day.
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