A scuffle took place on Wednesday between two factions of the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, the labour front of the BNP, during a preparatory meeting organized ahead of the opposition party’s upcoming divisional rally in Barisal.
The scuffle, at the BNP office on the Sadar Road in the city, left two Sramik Dal leaders injured. They are Sramik Dal Joint Secretary Kamal Sardar and Publicity Secretary Bachchu Mia.
The president, general secretary and other leaders of six district units under Barishal divisional Sramik Dal participated in the meeting ahead of the BNP’s rally in the city on November 5.
Sources said that Kamal Sardar, the joint secretary of the district Sramik Dal, was assaulted by activists of the metropolitan Sramik Dal on the ground floor of the party office. Bachchu Miya, publicity secretary of the district Sramik Dal who accompanied Kamal, was also beaten up.
Later, the situation was brought under control by other leaders of the Sramik Dal and law enforcers present on the scene.
Kamal Sardar blamed Faiz Ahmed, convener of the Sramik Dal city unit, for the attack.
According to party sources, Faiz Ahmed was enraged as he had not been invited to the meeting.
Faiz Ahmed, however, denied the allegation and said: "I don't know who called the meeting and for what purpose. I was not invited… I did not go there.”
As part of its move to continue the pace of the ongoing movement, the BNP on September 27 announced a programme to hold public rallies in 10 major cities.
The party started its divisional rallies in Chittagong and will conclude the program through a huge mass gathering in Dhaka city on December 10.