One killed as workers clash with picnickers

A man was killed and eight others were injured in a clash between transport workers and passengers of a picnic bus over loading vehicles onto a ferry at Lebukhali ghat in Patuakhali Sadar upazila early yesterday.
The dead, Jasim Uddin Hawladar, 30, son of Sekandar Hawladar of Boikathi village under Ujirpur upazila of Barisal, was the helper of Sakura Paribahan.  
Abu Zafar Khan, in charge of Patuakhali Sakura Paribahan counter, said staff of Sugandha Paribahan and the Kuakata-bound picnic bus had an argument over maintaining the serial of pulling their vehicles onto the ferry to

cross the Payra river around 4:30am.
 The passengers of the picnic bus were also involved in the altercation. Anger rapidly spread among transport workers of other vehicles too.
At one stage, both the passengers and the transport workers attacked each other. During the clash, Sakura Paribahan helper Jasim was stabbed. He was taken to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College in a critical condition. Jasim died there at about 8:00am, Abu Zafar said.  
Eight other people were also injured in the clash. One of the injured, Ebaidul, 35, helper of Sugandha Paribahan, was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition.
On information, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. They also detained 20 people from the spot, said Sub-inspector Gazi Nazrul Islam of Bakerganj Police Station.
Scuffling over loading of vehicles onto the ferry has become a regular phenomenon at the ghat as the single ferry cannot cope with the huge number of vehicles, Abu Zafar added.