20 hurt as Pabna BNP men clash over new convening committee

BNP activists chase their party rivals during yesterday's factional clash in Pabna town.Photo: STAR

At least 20 BNP activists were injured as two factions of the party engaged in a clash in front of Pabna district unit BNP office yesterday noon.
Major (retd) KS Mahmud, former president of Pabna district unit BNP and joint convenor of the newly declared convening committee, and Kamrul Hassan Mintu, incumbent chairman of Pabna municipality and organising secretary of the previous district BNP committee, are among the injured.
Internal feud of district BNP surfaced anew after the party central committee declared a convening committee of Pabna district unit BNP on Tuesday night.
A large faction of BNP activists observed demonstration programmes in the town on Wednesday demanding cancellation of the new committee.
On the other hand, supporters of the new convening committee organised a welcome rally yesterday and several hundred BNP leaders and workers assembled at Pabna district unit BNP office on the occasion.
The rival faction led by Kamrul Hassan Mintu also brought out a procession in the town.
As the procession came to the district BNP office, leaders and activists of the two groups got excited and engaged in clashes with sticks and brickbats.
At least 20 BNP activists of both the factions were injured during the clashes.
Seriously injured Major (retd) KS Mahmud, Kamrul Hassan Mintu, Anisur Rahman Titon, Shahidur Rahman, Azad and Pradip were admitted to Pabna General Hospital.
KS Mahmud was shifted to Dhaka CMH as his condition turned critical.
At a press conference on the premises of district BNP office in the afternoon, supporters of new committee demanded punishment of the attackers.
“Unruly people led by Pabna municipality Chairman Kamrul Hassan Mintu attacked the party office in a pre-planned way and injured several persons including senior BNP leader KS Mahmud,” Habibur Rahan Tota, convener of the new convening committee of district BNP, said at the press conference.
On the other hand, Pabna municipality Chairman Kamrul Hassan Mintu said, “We faced the attack when we brought out a protest procession.”
Following yesterday's clash in Pabna town, the BNP central committee expelled Kamrul Hassan Mintu from the party, sources said.
Additional police have been deployed in front of the party office as a tense situation is prevailing in Pabna town.