At least 20 people were injured during clashes over the occupation of sandy land on a river embankment in Tangail’s Bhuapur upazila.
The incident was reported from the upazila’s Nikrail union on Wednesday, confirmed Bhuapur Police OC Abdul Wahab.
The clashes broke out between supporters of newly elected UP Chairman Masudul Haque Masud and former chairman Abdul Matin, he said.
Masud serves as the ruling Awami League’s union unit general secretary while Matin is the president.
Both parties hurled bricks and exploded cocktails, OC Wahab said, adding that police fired seven rounds of tear shells to bring the situation under control.
According to locals, there are nearly 20 places in Nikrail from where sand is transported to the rest of the country. The sand from the river embankment during dry seasons is sold off.
“We have been trading in sand in this area since 2009,” Abdul Matin Sarker told Dhaka Tribune.
According to him, Masud and local UP member Nuh tried to take control of the sand embankment and vandalised the cash counter.
He said one of his men had been hospitalised while around 10 other men took primary care there.
Meanwhile, Nikrail UP Chairman Masud said that Matin’s men were illegally occupying the sand embankment.
He added that they were trying to put a stop to the illegal establishment.
Nikrail UNO Ishrat Jahan said that legal steps would be taken after a probe is completed.
