Four public offices in the Gournadi upazila, Barisal were ransacked in the Awami League’s factional clash over the submission of a tender on Sunday afternoon.
At least 20 people were injured and 12 motorcycles were damaged in the clash. The situation calmed down when law enforcement officers broke up the fight.
According to witnesses and local sources, the clash was a result of a meeting between a group of Awami League contractors and Shah Alam Khan and Farhad Munshi, the upazila chairperson and vice-chairperson, respectively, at their office in the upazila complex.
The meeting was about an LGED tender worth Tk60 lakh and the contractors were allegedly negotiating with the government officials to win the tender.
As a group rival to the contractors – followers of Harisur Rahman Haris, upazila Awami League secretary and municipal mayor – got wind of the meeting, they rushed to the place and engaged in an armed fight with the other group, vandalising the offices of the chairperson, the vice-chairperson, the accountant and the LGED engineer in the process.
On receiving information, police went to the scene and put a stop to the scuffle around 2:30pm.
No case was filed, said Abul Kalam, OC of the Gournadi police station.
Masud Hasan Patowary, Gournadi upazila nirbahi officer, confirmed the incident and said police and RAB personnel had been deployed to prevent another fight.
When contacted, both Shah Alam and Haris denied being involved in the clash.