Infighting leads to attack on Sajeda motorcade

The motorcade of the Deputy Leader of the House, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury MP, came under attacks in Faridpur on Friday allegedly by a group of AL activists belonging to her party rival.

Sajeda Chowdhury is also a presidium member of ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) party.

Witnesses said the incident took place at Talmar crossing in Nagarkanda of Faridpur around 2:30pm when Nagarkanda police station officer-in-charge AFM Nasim sustained injuries.

Police opened fires to bring the situation under control.

Local AL leaders said Sajeda Chowdhury was coming to Saltha on a two-day tour and local party leaders and activists lined the both sides of the Dhaka-Khulna highway at Talmar crossing in Nagarkanda.

At one stage, a group of AL activists belonging to Sajeda group tore posters and damaged gates of Nagarkanda AL joint general secretary Jamal Hossain Mia - a nomination seeker for the local constituency.

A tense situation brewed up in the area when the news spread and a group of supporters of Jamal Hossain took position at a petrol pump near the Talmar crossing.

Police and witnesses said Jamal’s supporters started pelting stones and brickbats at Sajeda’s motorcade as soon as it reached the spot.

Windowpanes of the microbus of assistant superintendent of police Mohiuddin were damaged in the attack. Besides, brickbats were also pelted at the cars of Sajeda Chowdhury and her son Ayman Akbar Chowdhury.

Saltha upazila parishad chairman Waheduzzaman, known as a supporter of Sajeda group, alleged that Jamal Hossain’s supporters launched the attack on Sajeda Chowdhury.

He said Sajeda, however, was not injured in the attack and now staying in her home in Rasulpur of Saltha.

When contacted, Jamal Hossain Mia said there were portraits of Bangabandhu and prime minister Sheikh Hasina in the damaged posters and gates and which enraged people and then they built resistance.

Nagarkanda OC is undergoing treatment at the upazila health complex.