A group of miscreants vandalised and tore apart banners, festoons and side stages set up for Pahela Baishakh celebration in Chattogram's DC Hill area this evening.

During the incident, police chased the attackers and detained seven persons from the spot.

Witnesses said a procession chanting slogans like "Accomplices of fascists, beware! Agents of the Awami League, beware!" started vandalising the stages while the police were present at the scene.

Meanwhile, Sammilito Pohela Boishakh Udjapon Parishad, which was responsible for tomorrow's celebration, announced the suspension of all of their programmes protesting the vandalism.

Confirming detention of seven attackers, Deputy Commissioner (DC) (South) Md Alamgir Hossen of CMP told The Daily Star, "A group of 30 to 40 people tried to vandalise the main stage but failed. Banners and some festoons were damaged and police immediately held seven while they were fleeing the scene."

"We are verifying their political identity," he added.

Police officials and district administration office sources said BNP backed Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (Jasas) and its like-minded organisations opposed the programme on the DC hill by Sammilito Pohela Boishakh Udjapon Parishad, which had led to a tense situation for the last two days.

The DC office held a meeting on this matter with Jasas this afternoon but it ended without any solution.

Sammilito Pohela Boishakh Udjapon Parishad's coordinator Sucharit Das Khokon told The Daily Star, "Over the last two days, we have faced a lot of hurdles and drama to organise the programme here. At the eleventh hour, the DC office provided us a list of 23 organisations like Bodhan, Udhichi, Proma and other cultural organisations, asking us not to let them perform on the stage. And then in the last hour, this vandalism occurred."