At least eleven individuals were injured as activists from the rival factions of Awami League in Barisal clashed and ransacked the city party office today.
The clash erupted after activists loyal to district AL President Abul Hasanat Abdullah and city AL President Shawkat Hossain Hiron got involved in an altercation over an alleged assault against a party colleague on the night before.
Police fired sound grenades, teargas shells and rubber-coated steel bullets while also charging batons to disperse the activists.
According to party sources, a party activist loyal to the Hiron faction, identified as Mohiuddin Babul aka Beai Babul, was allegedly assaulted by some Hasanat loyalists at a Dhaka hotel on Sunday night.
The incident provoked an instant outcry from Babul’s sympathisers in the party who, led by city president of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) Jasim, called for a protest rally and a meeting at the party office in the city’s Sohel Square at 11am today.
The activists of the Hasanat faction, led by district secretary of BCL Abdur Razzak, responded by questioning the validity of the programme announcement and soon a face-off between the two factions ensued, eventually escalating into a full-blown clash.
Both groups came prepared with “lethal weapons” and bricks, apparently in anticipation of the clash which began at the party office and gradually spilled into surrounding areas.
At least 11 activists were injured and various pieces of furniture and windowpanes of the office were ransacked during, sources said.
The clash triggered panic among locals and set off a prolonged gridlock around the city’s Sadar Road, Fakirbari Road, KBS Hemayetuddin Road and Fazlul Huq Avenue.
However, a police team led by Atikur Rahman, assistant police commissioner of Barisal Metropolitan Police, soon arrived on the spot and brought the situation under control.
Both groups blamed each other for initiating the fight.
The group loyal to Hiron, also a former mayor of Barisal City Corporation, alleged that their rivals had launched an “unprovoked” attack on them collaborating with Jamaat-Shibir activists.
The Hasanat group, however, denied culpability and said they only went to the office to protest the presence of Babul in the party, who they claimed was an “infiltrator.” No case was filed in this connection till today afternoon.
According to party sources, both the district and city Awami League leaders and activists of Barisal met with party chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday.