The district unit arranged the programme at its office on Nawab Barhi Road in the town in the afternoon.
Several leaders including the unit President Saiful Islam, General Secretary Zainal Abedin Chan and former lawmaker Helaluzzaman Talukder Lalu were present at the programme and delivered speech.
After their speech, some activists and supporters of two rival groups started fighting to take position in the front row for a group photo with the birthday cake. Some of the leaders took the cake inside the party office, said witnesses.
At one point, they started vandalising chairs and tables on the premises.
Being informed, a police team reached the spot and charged batons on the agitating activists to disperse them. Police also took Saiful to a safer place.
Police charged to disperse the rival BNP groups from the scene Dhaka Tribune Police took action to bring the situation under control, Fazle Elahi, sub-inspector of Bogra sadar police camp, said.
Saiful Islam, president of the district unit BNP, dismissed that there had been any occurrence happened during the programme. “The police only blew whistles,” he claimed.
However, Joint General Secretary Nazmul Huda Papon said that the police had removed a stage set up in front of the party office at noon. “Later we arranged a programme to cut the cake upon permission of the police.
“At that time, some junior activists created chaos while taking photos. Then the police came and charged batons lightly to disperse them. But the programme was not hampered,” Papon said.
