BNP factions clash, take rivals to court

Section 144 at places

14 November 2009, 17:00 PM

Star National Desk

Fourteen BNP leaders and activists, including Satkhira district BNP Convener Habibul Islam Habib, have been sued on charge of assaulting five party men during Tala upazila BNP conference on November 13. The other accused include Mrinal Kanti Roy and Safiqul Islam, newly elected president and general secretary of Tala upazila BNP, local BNP leaders Yasin Ali, Kamrul Islam, Ashraful Islam and Nurul Islam and activists Kamrul Islam and Ashraful Islam. Local BNP leader Sirajul Islam Bablu filed the case with Tala Police Station on Friday night. Police arrested Kamrul Islam and Ashraful Islam at their houses at Tala upazila headquarters, according to our Satkhira correspondent. Sirajul Islam Bablu, who was also a candidate for upazila unit secretary, alleged that the accused swooped on him and his supporters at the conference venue at Tala Government College ground at around 1:00pm on November 13. Contacted, Officer-in-Charge (OC) Matiur Rahman of Tala Police Station said Bablu and four others were injured during a clash between two groups of local BNP over formation of the party's upazila committee. He said police have launched a drive to arrest the remaining accused including district BNP convener and former lawmaker Habibul Islam Habib. In Munshiganj, two factions of BNP could not hold upazila BNP conference at Sreenagar Pilot High School ground yesterday as the local administration imposed Section 144 at the venue apprehending untoward incident, says a correspondent. Earlier both the groups vowed to hold the conference at the venue at 11:00am to elect the upazila unit's new committee. A faction led by upazila BNP Convener Md Momin Ali called the conference at Sreenagar High School ground. Another faction led by upazila convening committee member Abdur Rahim Mridha Faruque also called their conference at the same venue at the same time prompting the administration to impose Section 144. Our correspondent in Chapainawabganj reports: The upazila administration of Patnitola imposed Section 144 at Puraton Madrasa ground under Patnitola upazila in Naogaon yesterday as two factions of BNP upazila unit declared programmes at the same venue. Sources said a faction led by convener of BNP upazila unit former lawmaker Shamsuzzoha arranged council meeting at Puraton madrasa ground in the morning. The rival group led by former president Masud Karim called a protest meeting against the council at the same place. At this, the local administration imposed Section 144 from 7:00am to 10:00pm at the madrasa ground to avoid any untoward incident, said, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Abdul Malek. Meanwhile, at least 20 BNP activists were injured in a factional clash at Maijbari Union under Kazipara upazila yesterday over holding of the union level conference, reports UNB. Witnesses said the clash ensued between Toha group and Mobarak group at noon when Toha group ransacked the union BNP office, leaving 20 from both sides injured. The feuding groups also damaged three shops at the nearby bazar. Seven of the injured were admitted to local health complex.