100 injured in B'baria clash

At least 100 people were injured -- seven critically -- in a clash between two groups of people over parking a truck on the Ashuganj-Charchartala road at Charchartala village in Ashuganj upazila yesterday.
According to eyewitness and police sources, an altercation broke out between supporters of one Nasir and one Hanif centering on the parking of a truck in the area in the morning.
Later around 10:30am, both groups armed with sticks and other weapons locked in a clash that gradually spread over the entire village and adjacent areas.
Police from Ashuganj Police Station rushed to the spot and struggled for two hours in vain to bring the mob under control. Finally riot police from Brahmanbaria Police Lines were brought in. They fired 77 rounds of rubber bullets and 12 rounds of tear gas shells to break up the feuding parties around 2:30pm.
The Officer-in-Charge of Ashuganj Police Station said around 100 people from both sides were injured in the altercation.
Of the injured, 16 were sent to Dhaka for treatment, nine were admitted to Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital, 26 to Ashuganj hospital and 11 were taken to private clinics. Others were given first aid.
The conditions of  Ziaur Rahman, 35, Saddam, 18, Hanif, 40, Monir Hossain, 19, Mubarak, 25, Shahjahan, 25, and Dulal, 18, were critical, the on-duty emergency medical officer of Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital said.
Riot police remain deployed on the spot, said Md Mohiuddin, OC (investigation) of Ashuganj Police Station.
No case was lodged till filing this report at 10:30pm.