Ten Manikganj BCL men hurt in intra-party clash

Ten activists of Manikganj district unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) were injured as intra-party opponents beat them up in Manikganj bus stand area yesterday.

Of the injured, district unit BCL's joint secretary Nahida Islam Onu, organising secretaries Sheikh Mohammad Yasin and Shafikul Islam Babu, student affairs secretary Lamia Sultana Putul, library affairs secretary Sajib Hossain, and activist Monirul Islam were admitted to Manikganj Sadar Hospital.

New committee of the district BCL was formed through selection at a council on November 30 last year, with Sadikul Islam Soha as president and Enamul Haque Rubel secretary.

Rubel and his followers gathered in front of Awami League's Ward No 2 office at bus stand around 10:30am to bring out a procession to welcome the BCL committee, said Rubel.

Around 11:00am, their opponents led by former president Abu Bakar Siddik Khan Tusher announced a counter programme there and took position in front of Police Box beside Dhaka-Aricha Highway. Jubo League and Sramik League men led by district Sramik League president Babul Sarker joined with them.

They attacked a procession led by BCL district unit's organising secretary Sheikh Mohammad Yasin Ali coming from Saturia upazila towards the BCL rally at Manikganj bus stand.

A group led by Enamul Haque Rubel came forward to save their fellows but they too came under attack.

Ten BCL men, all loyal to the new BCL committee, were injured in the attacks.

Police later brought the situation under control, said Aminur Rahman, officer in charge of Manikganj Police Station.

A group also attacked the house of district BCL president Sadikul Islam Soha at Bewtha and fired blank shots there around 2:30pm, said Soha.

Contacted, district Sramik League president Babul Sarker and former district BCL president Abu Bakar Siddik Khan Tusher said Sadikul Islam and Enamul Haque have no moral rights to bring out procession in favour of BCL as leaders of Awami League and its front organisations in the district have demanded their removal from the posts for their alleged involvement in crimes including extortion, and anti-organisational activities.

District AL leaders including lawmaker from Manikganj-3 constituency and State Minister of Health Jahid Maleque Swapan, Manikganj district unit AL President Golam Mohiuddin and its General Secretary Abdus Salam, and Manikganj municipality Mayor Md Ramzan Ali with their joint signatures have sent a letter to party chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the party's central Organisational Secretary Ahmed Hossain, also in charge to look after Manikganj AL, citing different allegations against the president and the secretary of the new committee of the district BCL.