50 including ASP injured as two groups clash in Madaripur, section 144 imposed
Clashes broke out between residents of two villages in Madaripur’s Rajoir over the issue of exploding fireworks.
During the incident, both sides exploded at least 40 cocktails, creating panic in the entire area.
At least 50 people from both sides, including a senior police officer, were injured in the four-and-a-half-hour clash. The upazila administration has imposed Section 144 in the wake of the incident on Monday.
Rajoir Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Mahfuzul Haque told Prothom Alo that Section 144 has been imposed to maintain law and order, in the interest of the safety of the general people and to avoid unpleasant incidents.
The order will be effective from 1:00pm today, Monday to 1:00am on Tuesday. The clash took place between Badarpasha and Paschim Rajoir villages at the Beparipara intersection in Rajoir upazila from 6:00pm to 10:30pm yesterday, Sunday.
Two vehicles of police were attacked and vandalised in the clash. In addition, 12 shops in Badarpasha and West Rajoir villages were vandalised and looted. Later around 11:00pm, the army, police, RAB and fire service personnel brought the situation under control after a joint effort of several hours.
Earlier, on Saturday night, residents of West Rajoir and Badarpasha villages clashed for about three hours over the setting off of fireworks.
At least 25 people, including 8 police personnel, were injured in the clash.
According to police, hospital and local sources, on 2 April, Junayed, son of Atiyar Akon of Badarpasha village in Rajoir upazila, set off fireworks with his friends.
Jobair Khan, son of Moazzem Khan of the same village, and his friends, barred them, which led to an argument between the two sides.
In the next morning, Junayed and his associates found Jobair alone at the Beparipara intersection in Rajoir and beat him up, breaking up his right leg. Later, injured Jobayer's elder brother Salman Khan filed a case with Rajoir police station against six people, naming Junayed as the main accused.
On the evening of 12 April, when Salman Khan went to Rajoir Bazar, Junaid and his friends chased him. The two sides engaged in a clash with local weapons at night. At that time, crude bombs were exploded and several shops were vandalised. Local dignitaries called people from both sides yesterday to resolve the matter. An arbitration meeting was scheduled for 10:00am today. However, people from both sides got involved in a clash before that on Sunday evening.
Several cocktails were exploded and 12 shops were vandalised and looted by the aggrieved people of Badarpasha village. The police could not control the situation even after firing tear gas shells. Later, the situation was brought under control with the joint efforts of the army and the police.
11 police members including Madaripur Additional Superintendent of Police Md Jahangir Alam, Officer in Charge (OC) of Rajoir Mohammad Masud Khan and at least 40 people from both sides were injured in the clash. Among the injured, Mehedi Mir, 22, Russell Sheikh, 28, of West Rajoir village, Monotosh Saha, 50, of Sahapara and Md Toufiq, 37, of Alamdasta village were admitted to Rajoir Upazila Health Complex in critical condition. Later, they were shifted to Faridpur Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment. The others received treatment at various hospitals in Rajoir and Madaripur.
Sajib Mia, an eyewitness to the incident, told Prothom Alo that people from the two villages were gathered using a loudspeaker. Panic spread throughout the area due to the sound of the cocktail explosion. When the power supply was cut off to quell the clash, they used flashlights to engage in the clash.
Rajoir’s OC Mohammad Masud Khan said additional policemen have been deployed and Army men are patrolling the area to avert any further clash.
Two people have been detained. Police will file a case over the incident, he added.