At least 20 people mostly members of indigenous group PCJSS were injured in a series of clashes with the supporters of Jago Parbatyabashi – a newly formed platform, in Bandarban town yesterday amid hartal.
Of the injured, five were admitted to Bandarban Sadar Hospital. But two of them were later shifted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital as their condition deteriorated.
Police detained a hartal supporter during the clashes. Army, BGB personnel and additional police were deployed in the town to avoid further clashes.
Leaders of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samity (PCJSS) blame district unit Awami League General Secretary Awami League General Secretary Kazi Mujibur Rahman and BNP-backed municipality Mayor Zabed Reza for instigating the attacks.
Jago Parbatyabashi emerged recently Awami League and BNP supporters as members. The local AL leaders had no representation in the two other Bangali organisations including Parbatya Bangali Somo Odhikar Andolon since those had Jamaat-e-Islami men as leaders.
The new platform on Tuesday called 72-hour general strike in the district in “protest against extortion, abduction and killings by PCJSS.”
The hartal coincides with the visit of PCJSS President Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma alias Santu Larma, who is set to join the council programme of Pahari Chhatra Parishad, its students’ wing, at Farukpara of the town on Friday.
Due to the shutdown, no highway buses left the town while businesses and educational institutions remained closed.
Jago Parbatyabashi supporters were picketing in different areas of the town since morning. In the judge’s court area, the hartal supporters pelted bricks at a police vehicle. A picketer named Humayun was detained in this connection.
Clashes between PCJSS and Jago Parbatyabashi ensued in the morning when an indigenous youth named Mong Ting Marma, who works for an online news portal, took photos of the demonstrators in Traffic Mor area, police and locals said.
The picketers first assaulted him and later chased him to the Press Club office. They also damaged his camera.
At noon, the picketers uprooted plates of a bridge in Swarnomondir area of Balaghata as the convoy carrying Santu Larma was entering the town. Later officials of roads and highways department came and repaired the bridge, and the PCJSS chief went to the Circuit House.
Following this, clashes spread from Balaghata to across the town resulting in the injuries of at least 15 PCJSS men.
OC Imtiaz Ahmed said they were patrolling the town since morning to tackle any untoward incident.
Jago Parbatyabashi Convenor Abidur Rahman claimed that they were peacefully observing hartal to protest against the criminal activities of PCJSS men.
Assistant Information and Publicity Secretary of PCJSS Sajib Chakma condemned the attacks on their men and demanded compensation for their treatment. He also demanded immediate arrest of the attackers.
PCJSS Bandarban unit General Secretary Keba Mong Marma claimed that AL leader Mujibur and Mayor Reza had instigated the attacks.