AL Noakhali council suspended in face of factional clash

The triennial council of Joyag union Awami-League (AL) at Sonaimuri in Noakhali has been marred by clashes over inaugurating the event before the guests arrived in the venue.
Collected

The triennial council of Joyag union Awami League (AL) at Sonaimuri of Noakhali has been marred by clashes over inaugurating the event before the guests arrived in the venue.

Over the issue, chase and counter-chase between two factions took place and several cocktails were blasted that injured at least six people, including Joyag union Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) convener.

As the panic spread centering the clash, the council was postponed. The incident took place around 11:00am on Sunday at Joyag College ground.

Police later pacified both the factions.

The injured are: Joyag union BCL convener Hafiz Tanvir, joint convener Abdur Rahim, 1 No. ward BCL president Ismail Hossain alias Babu and Joyag Bohumukhi High School BCL president Md Rabbi. Of them, BCL leader Hafiz Tanvir was allegedly hit with a hammer in presence of police.

According to AL leaders and activists, the union AL council was supposed to be held at 10:00am on Sunday at Joyag Collage field after nine years. Fuad Hasan, a member of the convening committee of district AL, was the coordinator of the event.  

At the event, local parliamentarian HM Ibrahim was invited as chief guest while upazila parishad (UP) chairman Khandkar Ruhul Amin and prime minister's personal assistant Jahangir Alam as special guests.  

They said Sonaimuri AL president Mominul Islam and general secretary AFM Babul inaugurated the event at 10:00am through hoisting national and party’s flags -- a time when the chief and special guests didn’t reach the venue. Later, around 11:45am, they attended the council.

Upon reaching the event, UP chairman Khandkar Ruhul Amin and prime minister's personal assistant Jahangir Alam questioned why the council was inaugurated without their presence. 

Then upazila AL president Mominul said he inaugurated the council at the directive of the lawmaker Ibrahim -- a reply that triggered an altercation between them and clashes afterwards.

Later, Mominul postponed the council.  

Mominul told Prothom Alo that they started the programme around 11:00am as the guests were behind schedule. Upon reaching the venue around 12:00pm, Ruhul Amin and Jahangir Alam questioned why the event was inaugurated without their presence. At that time, their supporters started brawling with one another.

Sonaimuri police station officer-in-charge Harun Ar Rashid told Prothom Alo that one of two factions was behind schedule in the council. Altercation broke out between the factions centering the flag hoisting. That is why the council was suspended.