At least eight activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Awami Jubo League, the student and youth fronts of the ruling Awami League respectively, were injured in a clash between followers of the organisations over the leasing of a kitchen market at Gournadi upazila in Barisal yesterday afternoon.
Witnesses said upazila BCL and Jubo League men at Gournadi Palli Bidyut office compound engaged had an altercation over the leasing of Chandshi Bazaar at about 11:30am.
At one stage of the altercation, Rakibul Islam Barkat, upazila BCL convening committee member, was assaulted by upazila Jubo Leugue convening committee member Md Mithu.
Zakaria Akand, another upazila Jubo Leugue convening committee member, was severely injured by the BCL activists.
Jubo League activists led by Rezaul Karim Titu, municipal councilor, placed the issue before Upazila Chairman Shah Alam Khan for arbitration.
When they were exiting the office, BCL activists swooped on them, triggering a fierce clash that left eight people from both groups injured.
Police rushed to the spot and controlled the situation by charging batons on the clashing groups.
Of the injured, Zakaria was admitted to Gournadi Upazila Health Complex.
Officer-in-Charge of Gournadi police station Abul Kalam said police had conducted raids in different parts of the city and arrested four BCL activists- Rubel, Barkat, Selim and Rumman.