A total of 10 men were injured in a clash between Awami League and BNP activists in Pabna.
The incident occurred in the Masumdia union of the Bera upazila on Saturday afternoon.
Eight people were detained over the incident, confirmed Aminpur police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mominul Islam.
Pabna district unit Chhatra League Vice-President Mostafa Hossain said: “Some party leaders were returning from a Ward Committee meeting in the Masumdia Union by bike when they stopped in front of a tea stall. Suddenly, some BNP activists hiding behind the tea stall ambushed them, with 10 people getting injured in the fight that ensued.”
However, Pabna 2 constituency candidate Selim Reza Habib said: “Some of our activists were sitting peacefully at the tea stall when Awami League members suddenly attacked them. Many of our members were injured.”
Eyewitness Jalal Uddin said: “We were sitting in the market and drinking tea when the skirmish began. We immediately backed away, but it is unclear as to how the fight began.”
Meanwhile, according to OC Mominul, Awami League leaders and activists were sitting at the tea stall when their BNP counterparts hurled brickbats at them. This started the fight, and 12 people were injured as a result.
Pabna Additional Superintendent of Police Gautam Kumar Biswas said police heard about the skirmish and went to the location to bring the situation under control.
“We arrested eight people in connection with the incident,” he said.
