Following an attack and vandalism at a BNP office in Narayanganj’s Sonargaon over a turf dispute, a BNP leader now stands accused of looting furniture and window grilles from the same office.
The looting occurred at Pirojpur union BNP’s Ward 6 office on the night of Thursday, August 20.
Earlier, at midday Wednesday, a clash between two factions left 11 people injured on both sides, including Ward 6 BNP president Babul Bepari. The injured were admitted to Sonargaon Upazila Health Complex and Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Both sides have filed complaints at Sonargaon police station over the clash.
It is learned that a long-running dispute over local influence exists between Sonargaon upazila BNP joint secretary Abdur Rouf and Pirojpur union BNP organizing secretary Abdul Jalil.
Stemming from this dispute, at midday Wednesday, a group of 10 to 15 people led by Abdul Jalil — including Nuruzzaman, Sabur Khan and Abdul Latif — armed with sticks, machetes, Chinese hatchets and iron rods, attacked the Pirojpur union Ward 6 BNP office at Ashariar Char bus stand. The attack damaged the office’s doors, windows, chairs and tables.
A clash then broke out between the two sides. On Abdur Rouf’s side, those injured included Pirojpur union Ward 6 BNP president Babul Bepari, Pirojpur union BNP joint secretary Abu Bakr Siddique, vice president Rafiqul Islam, and members Mofizul Islam Mafiz, Abu Akkas, Iyanbi, Rifat and Rafid. On the other side, Abdul Jalil, Sabur Khan and Dalim were injured.
Meanwhile, following the clash, a group led by Abdul Jalil returned on the night of Thursday, August 20, and looted chairs, tables and other furniture, along with window grilles, from the BNP office. Over the clash and the looting, Sonargaon upazila BNP joint secretary Abdur Rouf and the injured Sabur Khan, from Abdul Jalil’s side, filed separate complaints as complainants at Sonargaon police station.
Sonargaon upazila BNP joint secretary Abdur Rouf said he had built the Pirojpur union Ward 6 BNP office with his own funds after the fall of the Awami League government. He said the office was attacked and vandalized by a group led by Abdul Jalil over the dispute. Later that night, he said, the office’s chairs, tables, cabinets and other furniture, along with the window grilles, were looted. He said photographs of Acting Chairman Tareque Rahman, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and former President Ziaur Rahman were also damaged in the attack.
When contacted, the accused Pirojpur union BNP organizing secretary, Abdul Jalil, said Abdur Rouf’s wife and sons had taken the office’s chairs, tables and window grilles away in a pickup truck themselves, and that this was a smear campaign aimed at damaging his standing within the party.
Sonargaon upazila BNP general secretary Md Mosharraf Hossain said: “Vandalism and looting at the party office occurred due to a personal dispute. There have been previous attacks and clashes between them as well. If anyone is found using their party position to engage in wrongdoing, no one will be spared. We will discuss the matter with the MP and take a party decision against them.”
Sonargaon police station Inspector (Investigation) Anwar Hossain said: “Both sides have filed complaints at the police station over the attack and clash. If they can resolve this among themselves within the party, a case will not be necessary. However, if no resolution is reached, cases from both sides will be accepted.”
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report