50 BNP activists hurt as two rival factions clash
At least 50 BNP activists including two central leaders were injured as the two rival factions of the party here clashed at the preparatory meeting for Begum Khaleda Zia's Southern region road march and rally at Dashuria.
President of district BNP Major KS Mahamud and secretary Habibur Rahman Tota led one faction while former organising secretary of district BNP Kamrul Hassan Mintu led the rival faction.
The clash ensued when Habibur Rahman Habib, a central committee leader, while speaking on the occasion, termed Mahamud and Tota as the president and secretary of district BNP and the rival faction chanted slogans against both the leaders.
Both groups locked in chase and counter chase, hurled brickbats and attacked each other with sticks leading to postponement of the meeting.
At least 50 BNP leaders and activists from both groups, including Fazlur Rahman Patol, former minister, Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu, former state minister of four-party alliance government, were injured during the clash.
The hour-long clash halted traffic movement between northern and southern districts as Dashuria, the main intersection of northern and southern region was blocked by the activists of the rival factions. Police rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control.
Later the rival BNP leaders blamed each others for the untoward incident.
“They (Mintu group) did all in a planned way to foil the BNP chairperson's rally,” Habibur Rahman Tota, told the Daily Star.
He also claimed that Mintu was expelled earlier from the party and so he no longer belonged to the party.
Refuting the allegation, Kamrul Hassan Mintu said they had joined the preparatory meeting for holding the rally peacefully.
"The grassroots level activists protested when the names of the so- called president and secretary were pronounced at the meting and it followed the untoward incident," he said.
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