Factional clash foils council of Biral BNP

20 January 2010, 18:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Dinajpur

The biennial council of BNP Biral upazila unit could not be held on Monday due to a clash between two factions of the unit. Sources said Biral upazila BNP was holding its council on Biral Pilot High School premises in the afternoon with Md Rafiqul Islam, acting convener of the unit, in the chair. District BNP Convener AZM Rezwanul Haque was the chief guest at the council. The trouble began at around 6:30 pm when the chief guest in his speech called for electing the members of the executive body through secret ballots. Another faction led by Hamidur Rahman, a member of the upazila BNP convening committee, opposed election as only 109 out of 510 councillors from 10 union units were present. At one stage, activists belonging to the both factions locked in a clash and chased each other. They also damaged dais, chairs and tables at the conference venue. As the situation was going beyond control, district BNP Convener Rezwanul Haque along with some other district leaders left the scene. On information, police rushed to spot and dispersed the clashing groups. Additional police have been deployed at upazila headquarters.