MEHERPUR — Rival supporters of two BNP figures clashed in Meherpur on Tuesday over the party’s nomination for the Meherpur-2 seat, leaving at least 10 leaders and activists injured and at least 12 motorcycles damaged, police said.
The violence on Nov. 4 pitted supporters of nominated former lawmaker Amjad Hossain against backers of Javed Masud Milton, the Meherpur district BNP president who was denied the nomination. The first attack on Amjad Hossain was reported around 11:30 a.m. at the bus stand area and was blamed on Milton’s supporters. The fighting then spread to the two BNP offices, with both sides throwing brickbats, vandalizing the buildings, breaking motorcycles and setting furniture on fire after dragging it outside.
Amjad Hossain, the BNP nominee for Meherpur-2, said armed supporters of Milton, led by Gangni upazila BNP general secretary Abdul Awal, attacked the upazila BNP office and vandalized it extensively, injuring at least 10 party members.
Amjad Hossain’s supporters then retaliated by vandalizing Milton’s office after the attack on the BNP office. Law enforcement was inactive during the clashes, they said.
Amjad Hossain’s supporters said Milton’s side struck first in a one-sided attack, while police stood by as silent spectators.
Alfaz Uddin Kalu, the Gangni upazila BNP president and a Milton supporter, said Amjad Hossain’s men had vandalized their office.
Gangni Police Station officer-in-charge Bani Israel said tension prevailed in Gangni after the two sides chased each other through the area.
Local politics has been on edge since BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the Meherpur-2 candidate Monday night. Milton’s supporters burned tires in town that night to demand a change of nominee.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report