BNP’s big day turns chaotic
The BNP’s 48th founding anniversary celebrations were marred by clashes between rival factions in three districts on Tuesday, leaving at least 38 people injured and disrupting public life in parts of Sitakunda, Galachipa and Sreenagar.
The clashes took place during separate anniversary programmes and processions involving rival groups within the party. In Sitakunda, the violence led to a temporary blockade of the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, while passenger bus services on one route were suspended following vehicle vandalism.
Clashes in Sitakunda
In Sitakunda, at least five people were injured as supporters of former Chattogram North District BNP joint convener Kazi Mohammad Salauddin and former BNP joint secretary general Aslam Chowdhury clashed around 1pm near Hasan Gomosta Mosque in the municipal town.
Several cocktails exploded during the confrontation and three minibuses were vandalised, according to local sources.
Following the clash, supporters of Salauddin blocked two lanes of the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway at Bashbaria Bazar around 2pm, protesting what they alleged was an attack on their activists and vandalism.
Police and highway police persuaded the protesters to withdraw the blockade around 3:30pm. They later left the area in a procession. The blockade disrupted traffic for nearly an hour, according to Sitakunda police.
The violence also prompted the Chattogram Bus and Human-Hauler Owners’ Association to temporarily suspend passenger services on the Alankar-Sitakunda route. Association leaders said the decision was taken to protect passengers and transport workers and prevent further damage to vehicles.
Police and party sources said the two factions had separately planned anniversary programmes at Moon Star Club at 3pm. Tensions had been running high for two days over the competing programmes.
Police had asked the factions to hold their events at separate times, allowing Salauddin’s group until 2pm to complete its programme.
Salauddin alleged that supporters of Aslam Chowdhury had occupied the venue from the morning with cocktails and sharp weapons and later attacked his followers. He said the resulting tension led his supporters to hold processions at different locations before blocking the highway.
Aslam Chowdhury’s chief election agent Mohammad Morsalin rejected the allegations. He said their group had shifted its programme to LK Siddiqui Square because the situation at Moon Star Club was unsuitable.
Morsalin claimed that his group neither exploded cocktails nor attacked anyone, alleging instead that Salauddin’s supporters had assaulted their activists.
Sitakunda Police Inspector (Investigation) Mohammad Alamgir said police persuaded the protesters to end the highway blockade and leave the area.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Fakhrul Islam said two people injured in the clashes had been confirmed at the upazila health complex, although their identities were not immediately known.
25 Injured in Galachipa
In Patuakhali’s Galachipa, at least 25 BNP activists were injured in several rounds of clashes between two rival groups during the party’s founding anniversary celebrations.
The first clash broke out in front of the upazila parishad when supporters of former BNP executive committee member Hasan Mamun and followers of central Jubo Dal joint general secretary Ikhtiar Rahman Kabir and district Jubo Dal leader Shiplu Khan came face to face during separate processions.
A second clash erupted in the Bottola area after the Mamun faction brought out another procession.
Law enforcement personnel intervened and brought the situation under control. The injured were taken to local hospitals for treatment.
The clashes sparked anger among local residents and dissatisfaction among grassroots BNP activists, who criticised the rival factions for failing to maintain party discipline during the founding anniversary celebrations.
Galachipa police chief Mohammad Imtiaz Hasan said the situation remained under control and that additional security measures had been put in place.
Violence in Sreenagar
Meanwhile, in Munshiganj’s Sreenagar, eight to 10 people were injured when supporters of two BNP factions clashed around 10:30am near Zamzam Tower.
One faction is led by BNP central executive committee secretary for volunteer affairs Mir Sarfat Ali Sapu, while the other is backed by Munshiganj-1 MP Sheikh Abdullah and upazila BNP general secretary Hafizul Islam Khan.
According to witnesses, supporters of Sarfat Ali had gathered near Zamzam Tower ahead of a scheduled procession. Tensions escalated when some supporters of Hafizul Islam Khan passed through the area, leading to an argument and eventually a clash.
The confrontation involved sticks, chasing, brickbat throwing and motorcycle vandalism, according to local sources.
Local accounts initially said Sreenagar police station Inspector (Investigation) Milton Dutta was among those injured. However, the police chief later denied that any police personnel had been injured.
Doctors at Sreenagar Health Complex said four people sought treatment between 11am and 1pm with head and body injuries. Two of them were advised to undergo CT scans.
Additional police and RAB personnel were deployed in the area as tensions spread.
The rival groups blamed each other for the violence. Supporters of Sarfat Ali alleged that followers of Hafizul Islam Khan attacked them with sticks and locally made weapons. Hafizul denied the allegation and claimed that his supporters had been attacked first.
The incidents in the three districts cast a shadow over the BNP’s 48th founding anniversary celebrations, as internal factional disputes spilled into public spaces. The violence not only left dozens injured but also disrupted traffic and passenger transport in Sitakunda, raising concerns over party discipline and public safety during political programmes.
