At least four people were injured as two groups of Students Against Discrimination leaders and activists clashed during a National Citizen Party rally in Bogura on Wednesday.
The injured are Riad Hasan, Tahmid Hossain, Junaed Hossain, and Tawhid. Of them, Junaed was stabbed in the hip, said police.
According to the witnesses, newly floated NCP organised a protest rally at the Shaheed Titu Auditorium in the Bogura municipality park on Wednesday afternoon, demanding banning of the Awami League and justice for mass killings.
NCP chief organiser for the north, Sarjis Alam, addressed the rally as chief guest with central joint member secretary Tahsin Riaz, and joint chief organiser for the north Sakib Mahdi as special guests.
Shortly after the rally began, a faction of the Students Against Discrimination leaders and activists entered the venue with a procession chanting slogans 鈥楤hua, Bhua鈥� against the NCP, witnesses said.
When NCP activists tried to stop them, an argument broke out, quickly escalating into physical altercations. This was followed by clashes and chase-counter chase incidents.
The conflict continued even while Sarjis Alam was delivering his speech, they added.
Asked about the incident, Ahmed Sabbir, one of the organisers of NCP鈥檚 Bogura district unit, said that a few individuals, provoked by some unruly supporters of a central leader who was temporarily suspended from the NCP, came to the venue and tried to create chaos.
Contacted, Gazi Salauddin Tanvir, who was recently suspended from his role as NCP鈥檚 joint member secretary over allegations of misconduct, said that the allegation that his followers were responsible for the chaos at NCP鈥檚 rally in Bogura was baseless.
鈥楳aybe a few people didn鈥檛 receive the invitation to the event,鈥� Salauddin Tanvir said, adding that they have acted out because of that.
SM Moinuddin, officer-in-charge of Bogura Sadar police station, said that it seemed there were two groups among the Students Against Discrimination activists.
鈥楧uring the event, one group chanted slogans against Sarjis while the other group tried to stop them, which led to chase and counter-chase incidents between the two sides,鈥� he added.
