NCP Bogura rally: 2 groups clash in presence of Sarjis

Two groups of Student Against Discrimination (SAD) have locked in a series of clashes at a rally organised by National Citizen Party (NCP) in Bogura.

The rally was organised by the NCP demanding the ban on the Awami League politics at the Shaheed Titu Auditorium (Poura Park).

The incident took place at around 5:15pm on Wednesday in the presence of NCP Chief Organiser (Southern region) Sarjis Alam.

According to eyewitnesses, Sarjis Alam and other central leaders of the NCP reached the rally venue at around 4:30pm. Then, a group of the SAD entered the Poura Park premises with a procession.

The chief guest of the rally, Sarjis Alam, was sitting on the stage and other central leaders of the NCP were delivering their speeches. At that time, a group of SAD started chanting slogans against Sarjis Alam. Another group taking Sarjis' side, got into a fight with them. At one stage, a fierce fight broke out between the two groups.

Several eyewitnesses said that NCP leaders were delivering speeches on the stage of the rally when the two groups of the SAD clashed. Central Joint Member Secretary Tahsin Riaz, Joint Chief Organiser (Northern Region) Shakib Mahdi, central leaders Nazmul Islam, Sadia Farzana and others delivered speeches for about a minute. And the chief guest Sarjis Alam spoke for about four minutes and hurriedly left the stage. Later, a protest march was held around the city's Sat Matha intersection demanding the ban on the Awami League. A lot of policemen were deployed in the front and back of the procession.

SM Moinuddin, officer-in-charge of Bogura Sadar Police Station, told Prothom Alo that a group of NCP supporters catcalled when Sarjis Alam took to the stage. A scuffle broke out when another group stood in support of Sarjis. Later, the supporters of Sarjis drove the other group away.

Sabbir Ahmed, one of the key organisers of NCP Bogura district, told Prothom Alo that some unruly supporters of a recently-expelled leader of NCP and a group of SAD leaders and activists tried to create chaos.