At least 50 people have been injured in clashes between two factions of the BNP in Bancharampur Upazila of Brahmanbaria.
The clashes erupted at around 1pm on Monday centering on the forthcoming council of the party, locals said.
At least 30 shops and four motorcycles were also vandalized during the clashes. The injured were admitted to Bancharampur Upazila Health Complex in critical condition. Four people have been sent to Dhaka for advanced treatment.
Locals said there had been tension in the area since Monday morning over the party’s Bancharampur Upazila council scheduled for tomorrow.
A group led by former member of parliament and BNP Executive Committee Member Abdul Khalek brought out a procession, chanting slogans against the forthcoming council, near the upazila's Palli Bidyut office intersection. Thousands of activists took part in the procession with sticks and sharp weapons, locals said.
The procession circled the main roads of the upazila and reached the Musa Market area of Sadar Upazila. At that time, the supporters of Mehdi Hasan Palash, leader of another faction of the BNP and joint secretary of Krishak Dal, attacked the procession with brick chips and sticks.
This led to clashes between the two sides which lasted for about an hour.
The resident doctor of Bancharampur Upazila Health Complex Syed Ali Mohammad Russell said that 25 injured have been admitted to the hospital. Apart from this, 25 more people were released after primary treatment.
Meanwhile, BNP Executive Committee Member Advocate Rafiq Shikder, who was present at the hospital, said: "I demand that those responsible for this heinous incident be identified and brought to book."
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi is scheduled to attend the pre-scheduled council on November 20.