10 injured as city AL factions clash
Rally over war crimes trial foiled
At least 10 Awami League workers, mostly women, were injured in a factional clash of the ruling party's Shyampur-Kadomtali thana unit that broke out during a party rally at Jurain in the city yesterday.
The clash virtually foiled the rally that was called in line with AL's earlier plan to organise rallies in all constituencies in the capital to mobilise public support in favour of the war crimes trial.
AL General Secretary and LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam was supposed to address the Jurain rally as the chief guest.
Local AL lawmaker Sanjida Khanam, who was present during the clash, told The Daily Star that a group of party leaders led by Shyampur-Kadomtali thana unit AL President Tofazzal Hossain attacked the rally as she refused to agree to a BNP leader's joining the ruling party there.
Shyampur-Kadomtali thana unit Mahila AL President Rebeka Sultana claimed that more than 40 AL women activists were beaten up by the rival party leaders led by Tofazzal.
Six of the injured received first aid at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). They are Shimran Akhter, 22, Shahinur Akhter, 22, Sheuli Begum, 40, Shikha Begum, 50, Momena Matin, 40, and Josna Begum, 38.
Meanwhile, Tofazzal said party workers became angry as some members of the party's local unit were not allowed to address the rally. Also, the names of many associated bodies of the party that took part in the rally were not mentioned through loudspeakers, he added.
The clash erupted soon after the supporters of the lawmaker attacked his followers, he claimed.
Shyampur police said the clash took place centering around the longstanding feud between the two AL factions. No case was lodged and none was arrested in this regard, police said.
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