66 hurt in AL feuds

At least 66 people were injured in separate clashes between factions of ruling Awami League (AL) in Faridpur and Jhenidah yesterday.

About 50 people, including a policeman, were injured in a clash between two rival groups of AL at Hajrakanda village in Faridpur's Bhanga upazila.

The injured were admitted to Bhanga and Rajoir Upazila Health Complexes.

Police said there had been a longstanding rivalry between Bulbul Ahmad, 37, general secretary of Gharua union Jubo League, and former Gharua Union Parishad (UP) member Julhas Matbor, 50, over establishing supremacy in the locality.

An altercation ensued between the supporters of the two groups centring a football match on Wednesday.

As a sequel, both the groups locked in a fierce clash that left 50 people, including a policeman, injured.

Police went to the spot and fired rubber bullets to disperse the clashing factions, Officer-in-Charge of Bhanga Police Station Miraz Hossain said.

In Jhenidah, at least 16 people were injured when two groups of ruling AL clashed with each other at Hiradanga village in Sadar upazila.

Locals said two rival factions, one led by Sadar upazila AL General Secretary and local UP Chairman Shahidul Islam Heron and the other led by Sadar upazila Jubo League Convener Ibrahim Khalil Raja, had been at loggerheads for long.

The two groups locked in an altercation over joining the reception programme of State Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Junaid Ahmed Polok in the town yesterday.

At one stage, both the groups attacked each other that left 16 people injured.

  Our Faridpur and Jhenidah correspondents contributed to the report.