At least 20 activists of newly elected lawmaker and State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain were injured in an attack by supporters of defeated independent candidate Prof Abdul Mannan in Mujibnagar upazila of Meherpur.
Five leaders and activists of the independent candidate were also injured in the incident.
The incident took place in front of the house of Zia Uddin Biswas, vice-president of Mujibnagar district Awami League and chairman of Mujibnagar upazila parishad, at around 9:30pm on Monday.
The injured were identified as Ferdous Ali, 50, Akash, 25, Tuku Biswas, 40, Hasib, 13, Antar, 16, Abdul Hamid, 32, Ashraful Islam, 45, Ayat Ali, 45, Nahidul Islam, 59, Piyash, 25, Ali Yasin, 50, and 13 others.
Locals took them to Mujibnagar Upazila Health Complex. Three of them, including former UP member Ferdous Ali, were referred to Meherpur General Hospital as their condition was critical.
Witnesses said supporters of Meherpur-1 constituency candidate Farhad Hossain started a victory procession at Anandbas village. When the procession reached in front of the house of Zia Uddin Biswas, one of the Boat candidate’s men slapped an independent candidate’s supporter.
Angered by the incident, the activists of the defeated independent candidates started throwing brickbats at the workers and supporters of the Boat from a rooftop.
At one stage, they also attacked the boat workers and supporters with local weapons.
Ujjal Kumar Dutta, officer-in-charge of Mujibnagar police station, leaders and activists of both sides have been dispersed. “The situation is normal now. Police have been deployed in the area.”
Legal action will be taken if cases are filed, he added.
