At least 50 people, including Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson鈥檚 adviser Golam Akbar Khondakar, were injured in violent clashes between two factions of the BNP in Chattogram鈥檚 Raozan upazila on Tuesday afternoon.
Several vehicles were vandalised, and at least two motorcycles were set on fire during the confrontation.
The incident took place around 4:30pm in the Chhattarhat area of Raozan municipality when supporters of Golam Akbar Khondakar and BNP vice-chairman Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury came across each other during separate programmes.
According to locals, both Golam Akbar Khondakar and Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury hail from Raozan.
Since the ouster of the Awami League-led government on August 5, the two groups have been involved in repeated clashes, which have reportedly claimed at least 12 lives in the upazila, according to media reports.
On Tuesday (July 29), Golam Akbar Khondakar鈥檚 supporters were en route to pay respects at the grave of late Mohiuddin Ahmed, a former vice-president of Chattogram North BNP and ex-president of the party鈥檚 Raozan unit.
Simultaneously, Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury鈥檚 followers had organised a motorcycle procession in the area.
As Khondakar鈥檚 motorcade reached Chhattarhat area, it was reportedly intercepted by hundreds of stick-wielding men who had blocked the road roughly 50鈥�60 yards ahead. Eyewitnesses said that as soon as the convoy stopped, bricks and stones were hurled at it, triggering a counterattack.
Khandaker鈥檚 driver was injured by a stone as he attempted to move the vehicle.
Amid the chaos, more stones shattered the vehicle鈥檚 windows, injuring Khandaker inside the car.
He was later seen bleeding and was escorted to safety by his followers.
Following the clash, several motorcycles were vandalised and set ablaze.
The police, Rapid Action Battalion and army later arrived in the area and brought the situation under control.
Among the injured were Raozan BNP general secretary Anwar Hossain, former general secretary Nasim Uddin Chowdhury, Khandaker鈥檚 personal assistant Arjun Kumar Nath and APS Asikur Rahman, Jubo Dal leader Sazzad Hossain, BNP leader Aurangzeb Samrat, and Chhatra Dal vice-president Nayeem Uddin Minhaj.
