At least 30 BNP men were injured as AL activists swooped on them on their way to Dhulia village in Baufal upazila yesterday.
The BNP men were going to the village riding motorbikes to meet former lawmaker Shahidul Islam who arrived at his village home from Dhaka in the morning.
Fourteen of the injured are Bahauddin, 45, Ripon, 22, Shahzada, 30, Rafiqul Islam, 35, Sabuj, 27, Mahbub Howlader, 30, Noresh Malakar, 37, Sahin Mridha, 30, Swapan Malakar, 40, Khalil Howlader, 50, Shahjahan, 45, Siraj, 50, Shidangsu, 45, and Dhiren Bapari, 50. They all are members of Baufal upazila unit and received treatment at private clinics and hospitals.
Local BNP sources said the ruling party activists attacked the BNP men in Kumarkhali bridge area, Kachipara intersection, Nurainpur, Keshobpur Kheyaghat, Kalishuri bus stand and Dhulia bridge area on Baufal-Dhulia Road. The attackers also took away 10 motorbikes and 50 mobile phones from the BNP men, sources added.
Police and locals said, Shahidul Islam, former lawmaker from Patuakhali-2 (Baufal) constituency arrived at Dhulia in the morning to visit Kalishuri Bazar where at least 168 shops were gutted in a devastating fire on the night of August 24.
When the former lawmaker along with his supporters was going to the bazar at around 11:00am, police intercepted them near Dhulia High School.
Police said they prevented the former lawmaker and his supporters from going to the market, apprehending untoward incident there. Later, Shahidul Islam addressed the locals and his party men at a meeting on the school ground.
Contacted, Baufal upazila Awami League General Secretary Abdul Motaleb Howlader said no attack was made on BNP men. “It's a propaganda campaign by local BNP to gain support for their leader Shahidul Islam,” he added.