Awami League-BNP activists clash in Khagrachhari, over 100 injured
Leaders and activists of Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have engaged in clashes in Khagrachhari on Tuesday. The police have opened fire with rubber bullets and used tear gas to stop the clashes, but to no avail.
Over a 100 followers of both parties have suffered injuries. BNP leaders and followers have taken control of the city’s Shapla Chattar.
Eye witnesses said, Awami League followers attacked the BNP district office at around10:15am when they were preparing to start their scheduled march. Several BNP leaders and followers were hurt.
Later, BNP followers gathered together and stormed the Awami League office and the municipality office. Awami League deputy office secretary Nurul Azam and many others sustained injuries. In the attack, the municipality office was vandalised and 10 motorcycles were torched.
Gradually, the clashes spread throughout the city. The police opened fire with rubber bullets and used tear gas to stop the clashes. The entire city is in a tense state. There are no vehicles on the road and all businesses are also closed.
District BNP’s secretary general Md Absar said, when BNP activists were gathering in the party office ahead of their scheduled programme, Awami League members staged the first attack in front of the office. Later, they attacked inside the BNP office.
No Awami League leader was available for an immediate reaction.
Khagrachari Police Super Naimul Huq refused to comment.