35 injured in Jhenidah AL feud

At least 35 local Awami League (AL) leaders and activists were injured yesterday in an internal feud over establishing supremacy at Shamospur village in Sadar upazila.

Locals said two factions of the party had been quarreling over establishing supremacy in the area since the union parishad elections in 2014.

One of the groups is led by district AL member and Fursundi Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Abdul Malek and the other by Fursundi Union AL President and former UP chairman Shahid Shikder.

The supporters of the two factions locked in an altercation at a tea stall of Shamospur village about 8:00am over the last UP election. At one stage they engaged in a clash using local weapons like spears, billhooks, machetes and sticks, leaving around 35 injured.

Of the injured, 30 were admitted to Jhenidah Sadar Hospital while rest five were given first aid at different clinics in the town.

On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control, said  Officer-in-Charge (OC) Emdadul Haque Sheikh. Aadditional police have been deployed in the area to avoid further clash.

When contacted, Malek and Shahid Shikder blamed each other for the clash.

Dr Apurba Kumar Saha of the hospital said the injured have been given treatment and they bore marks of injuries on their body. Of them, one has been referred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital as his condition was stated to be critical.