Dhaka, April 1 Several people were injured, and vehicles were torched in a violent clash between two major political parties in Bangladesh -- Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami.
A total of four shops were vandalised, five motorcycles and a van were set ablaze, and dozens were injured during the conflict.
The conflict erupted in the Bausa union of Rajshahi's Bagha upazila centering on an earlier dispute over alleged corruption in distributing Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) cards, local media reported.
Local witnesses stated that the violence began when the student wing of BNP, Chhatra Dal activists, allegedly attacked Jamaat's student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir.
In retaliation, Shibir activists later assaulted BNP men. Following these incidents, BNP supporters allegedly ransacked shops and torched vehicles belonging to Jamaat sympathisers, the leading Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Star, reported.
Both BNP and Jamaat blamed each other for initiating the clash. Following a police-mediated resolution between both parties recently, Jamaat claimed that BNP supporters targeted their members, including an attempted murder of a student leader on March 30.
Additionally, Jamaat reported attacks on their activists' homes and businesses, leading to injuries and financial losses. They demanded justice and urged authorities to take action against those responsible.
However, BNP leader Rejaul, refuting the Jamaat's allegation, claimed that their Chhatra Dal leader Rajib Ahmed was having tea after iftar when a group of Shibir activists launched an unprovoked attack on him.
"Rajib is currently undergoing treatment at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital in a critical condition. No legal action has been taken yet. We will proceed once Rajib recovers," he said.
Bagha Police Station Officer-in-Charge AFM Asaduzzaman said that Jamaat has filed a case regarding the incidents. No arrests have been made yet. Police are investigating the matter to bring those responsible to justice, he added.
This clash between both parties followed an earlier dispute on the matter over alleged misuse of VGD cards in the Basua union of Bagha upazila region.
It is alleged that earlier this month, when Jamaat-e-Islami formed a human chain to protest against corruption, irregularities, and the misuse of VGD cards, BNP workers, led by Bausa union BNP president, arrived with a procession and got into a verbal dispute with Jamaat activists.
The situation escalated into a clash between BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami activists in the region, resulting in five people being injured on both sides, local media reported.
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