Al Factional Clash: 7-month-old among five hit by bullets

A seven-month-old baby was among the five people hit by shotgun pellets as two groups of local Awami League men engaged in a gunfight in Bakultala area of Munshiganj yesterday, said locals and police.

The baby named Tabassum Bin Nur was struck by several pellets in different parts of her body, said Tairan Mahmud, a medical officer at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Senior physicians will decide today how to treat her, he told reporters.

Tabassum's cousin Muhammad Jewel, 27, and a member of the feuding groups named Joy Mastan, 20, were also admitted at the DMCH with pellet injuries.

According to police and witnesses, the two local AL groups engaged in a gunfight over establishing supremacy  around 6:30pm on Bakultala-Solarchar road.

Locals said one group led by Suruj Miah, general secretary of Adhara union AL, first shot a man known in the area as Joy Mastan, a member of the group led by Ward-3 AL President Ali Ahmed.

The two groups then started shooting at each other.

Meanwhile, a three-wheeler carrying Tabassum, her mother Jonika Begum and Jewel got caught in the middle of the gun battle on the street, said family members. 

They were returning home in the Syedpur area after shopping for Jewel's wedding which was supposed to take place on Friday, the family added.

Tabassum and Jewel were admitted to DMCH around 10:00pm, they added.

Driver of the three-wheeler, Jahirul Islam, 32, received minor injuries and was discharged by a Munshiganj hospital after primary treatment.

Two other injured individuals, Alvi, 17, and Rasel, 23, were admitted to a local hospital in Munshiganj.

Sumon Dev, superintendent of police in Munshiganj, said a police team was deployed in the area to bring the situation under control.

Aminul Islam, officer-in-charge of Munshiganj Police Station, said five people including a baby were injured in the gunfight, adding that police are looking for the suspects.

Local AL leader Ali Ahmed said his rivals within the party had shot Joy Mastan.

He added that the others who got injured were also shot by his rival group.

Suruj could not be contacted for comments.