At least 20 people were injured in a series of clashes between two groups in Ashuganj upazila of Brahmanbaria on Saturday, following a dispute over a negative comment on a TikTok video.
The clashes broke out at Ashuganj Bazar in the afternoon, turning the busy marketplace into a battleground and forcing shopkeepers to close their businesses.
According to police and eyewitnesses, tension arose on Friday after a comment on a TikTok video triggered a dispute between two groups from Abir Hati and Nagor Bari areas of Sohagpur village. The dispute initially led to a physical altercation between two young men.
In an attempt to resolve the matter, a mediation meeting was held at Jaru Mia's warehouse in Ashuganj Bazar on Saturday morning in the presence of police and local leaders. Although the two sides reached a settlement, fresh violence erupted around noon after police left the venue.
Members of the rival groups, armed with locally made weapons, engaged in successive clashes, leaving at least 20 people injured. Panic spread across the market as shoppers and pedestrians fled for safety.
Police later rushed to the scene and brought the situation under control after several attempts.
Ashuganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Anisur Rahman said the dispute over the TikTok comment had led to a physical altercation between two youths on Friday.
He said the matter was settled at a mediation meeting in the presence of police on Saturday morning, but the two groups clashed again after officers left.
Additional police personnel have been deployed at Ashuganj Bazar to prevent further violence, he added.
