Two rival factions of the Jubo Dal, youth wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), engaged in a gunfight in Chattogram in the small hours of Tuesday, leaving one Chhatra Dal activist dead.
The deceased was identified as Md Sazzad, 22. At least 15 others were injured in the incident.
The clash took place around 2:00 am on Tuesday in the Bogar Beel Mukh area of the Baklia Access Road in the city. Police and party sources said the violence erupted over the tearing down of a banner.
Deceased Sazzad was known to be a follower of Emdadul Haque Badsha, the expelled former organising secretary of the now-defunct Chattogram city unit of the Jubo Dal.
Party insiders said the gunfight broke out between supporters of Emdadul and those loyal to Gazi Siraj Ullah, the former president of the city unit of the Chhatra Dal. Among those named as being involved in the clash was Borhan Uddin, a follower of Siraj and former hospitality affairs secretary of the city Chhatra Dal. Borhan now claims to be a Jubo Dal organiser, although the Jubo Dal currently has no active committee.
When contacted, Baklia police station officer-in-charge (OC) Ikhtiar Uddin told Prothom Alo at around 2:30 am that the incident had indeed stemmed from a dispute over the tearing down of a banner.
“One person has been killed and several others injured. A drive is underway to arrest those involved,” he said.
According to party sources, the violence followed an incident earlier that night when Jubo Dal activist Md Jasim, a supporter of Emdadul, was allegedly abducted by Borhan Uddin and Nazrul Islam Sohel, both followers of Siraj.
Speaking to journalists, Jasim said that Shahadat Hossain, the Chattogram City Corporation mayor and former president of the city unit BNP, had instructed the removal of banners featuring “terrorists and extortionists” bearing his image from various parts of the city.
“Following his directive, I took down those banners from several areas, including Baklia,” he said. “Among them were banners with photos of Shahadat and Siraj alongside Borhan’s image. This angered Borhan, and later that night, a group of eight to ten men picked me up and beat me.”
According to the party sources, after learning of Jasim’s abduction, Emdadul’s followers went to rescue him. “As they reached Baklia Access Road, they came under gunfire,” one source said. Sazzad was struck in the chest and later declared dead at the hospital.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Emdadul Haque Badsha said, “Borhan had put up banners featuring Siraj’s photograph. When those were removed on mayor Shahadat’s instructions, Borhan’s men picked up Jasim. When our people went to rescue him, they opened fire.”
When asked for comment, Gazi Siraj Ullah denied any connection with the incident, saying, “Borhan and Sohel are not my followers. I am currently busy in Patiya with preparations for the upcoming election. Once I realised they were involved in wrongdoing, I cut all ties with them.”
Late that night, Sazzad’s mother, Farida Begum, rushed to the hospital after learning of her son’s death. “Why did they shoot my son?” she cried. “I demand justice for his murder.”
Sazzad’s brother, Mohammad Imran, said his brother was involved in Chhatra Dal politics. “I want the killers of my brother to be hanged,” he told Prothom Alo.