An activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League has been killed in a clash between two factions of Awami League (AL) in Basurhat under Companiganj upazila of Noakhali.
At least 30 people were injured, including an officer-in-charge (OC) of a police station and five of his colleagues, and 12 of them sustained bullet injuries, according to media reports.
The clash erupted between the supporters of Basurhat municipality Mayor Quader Mirza, brother of Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, and supporters of former upazila chairman Mizanur Rahman Badal.
The incident took place at Basurhat Bazar on Tuesday evening, less than three weeks after journalist Borhan Uddin Muzakkir, 25, was shot dead in a clash between the same two groups.
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The deceased is Md Alauddin, 32, a resident of Char Kali village under Char Fakira union of the same upazila. AL leaders said deceased Alauddin was a Chhatra League activist but both groups claimed him to be their man.
Noakhali General Hospital Residential Medical Officer (RMO) Syed Mohiuddin Abdul Azim said Alauddin was brought to the hospital around 11pm. He was dead on arrival.
Later, 12 more people who were shot were admitted to the hospital. Four of them were referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for being in critical condition, he added.
Witnesses and police officials said that the clash erupted around 5:00pm when the Badal-led faction was staging a rally protesting against the attack on the upazila Awami League President Khijir Hayat Khan allegedly by Quader Mirza.
The rally came under attack from two sides allegedly by the supporters of Quader Mirza and the clash began, they said, adding that police brought the situation under control by opening fire in the air.
The supporters of Badal took shelter at the upazila parishad and Quader Mirza’s supporters took shelter at municipality office area and a tense situation was prevailing.
Shops in the surrounding area were closed and passersby took shelter in safer places, they said.
Witnesses said that both groups again got into a clash sometime after 9:00pm and sounds of gunfire and cocktail explosions could be heard.
Rabiul Haque, inspector (investigation) of Companiganj police station, said the OC of the police station and five other cops were injured trying to calm the feuding factions.
A team of RAB 11 and additional policemen had to go to the spot to bring the situation under control, said Md Alamgir Hossain, superintendent of Noakhali police.
Extra police personnel have been deployed in the area while the Noakhali administration imposed section 144 in Basurhat for 18 hours from 6:00am on Wednesday.
