Rival AL men in Gouripur clash

Moshiur Rahman Kawsar

Police arrested a councillor of Gouripur municipality early yesterday on charge of attacking the houses of rival Awami League men and a journalist in Gouripur upazila on Friday.
The arrestee is Abul Quadir, commissioner of Ward No 3 of the municipality, said Mohammad Ali Sheikh, officer in-charge of Gouripur Police Station.
Police said two factions of AL--one led by local lawmaker Captain (retd) Mujibur Rahman Fakir and another by municipality mayor Syed Rafiqul Islam-- brought out separate processions in the upazila town on Friday afternoon protesting recent attack on a teacher of Government Muminunnessa Mohila College.
On June 22, a gang of 15/20 swooped on Farid Uddin, associate professor of the college, as he took strong stance against the MP during the January 5 national elections, sources said.
At one stage, the attackers stripped the teacher, took him to the office of the lawmaker and assaulted him. Since then a group continued agitating protesting the incident.
As a sequel to the incident, a chase and counter chase took place between the two rival groups, leaving at least 10 people from both sides injured on Friday evening.
A group of men, allegedly led by Mayor Rafiqul Islam, attacked the houses and business establishments of AL leaders Md Nurul Islam, his brother Rafiqul Islam and others, who are loyal to MP Mujibur Rahman Fakir.
They also stabbed Moshiur Rahman Kawsar, Gouripur Press Club secretary and Gouripur correspondent of Amader Samoy, in the upazila town, leaving him seriously injured.
Contacted, Mayor Rafiqul Islam refuted the allegation of the attack on the rival AL men and the journalist.
Meanwhile, journalists held a rally at the press club in the town yesterday, protesting the attack on Moshiur Rahman Kawsar.