College student shot dead in Habiganj AL faction clash

A college student was killed and 30 others were injured in a clash between rival factions of the ruling Awami League in Madhabpur upazila in Habiganj Sunday night.
Sohel Mia, 18, a student of class eleven at Dharmaghar College, succumbed to a bullet wound that hit him during the clash in Dharmaghar Bazar area around 8:30pm yesterday, police said.
Sohel was taken to Madhabpur Health Complex, where he was declared dead, Abdul Based, officer-in-charge (OC) of Madhabpur Police Station told our correspondent there.
A group led by Dharmaghar union AL general secretary, Farid Miah, and a rival group led by AL leader, Mesbah Uddin, filed bids for fishing in the Dharmaghar Bazar pond, a government owned water body, the OC said.
The groups locked in heated exchange of words at the Upazila Nirbahi Officer’s (UNO) office the same afternoon.
At one point Mesbah and another man were physically assaulted. In the evening, the groups, with sticks and iron rods took position at the Dharmaghar Bazar and locked in the clash leaving the 30 people injured.
Sohel sustained the bullet wound as 5 to 6 gunshots were fired and some 10 crackers were blasted before the police could bring the situation under control.
After autopsy, the body was handed over to the deceased’s family yesterday afternoon, the police official added.