At least 15 activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League were injured in a scuffle following chanting slogans at the council of north district unit of Chittagong BCL on Tuesday.
Following the scuffle there was a hand-made bomb exploded during first session at the council of the ruling party Awami League-backed student organisation at Engineers’ Institution in Chittagong around 1:00pm. Chittagong north district BCL organised the council after seven years of its last committee formation in 2011.
After the explosion, disorder overtook the entire council session and several groups of BCL hurled chairs to each other. Some leaders and activists fell on the ground and at least 15 people, including two journalists, received injuries while trying to make way during the rush of people.
Of the injured, seven were identified as BCL activist Sobuj Ahmed, Robiul Islam, Nipu Howlader, Saidur Rahman, Md Rifat and two journalists Saidul Islam and Mitoon Chowdhury, received minor injuries. Injured five BCL activists were admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, said the hospital police outpost’s assistant sub-inspector Mohammad Alauddin Talukder.
At the time of explosion the programme’s chief guest Awami League’s presidium member engineer Mosharraf Hossain, also the housing and public works minister, central BCL general secretary SM Zakir Hossain and other senior leaders were present at the dais. The leaders tried to restore order but failed.
At one stage, BCL leaders immediately postponed the first session of the council. The second session of the council was scheduled to be held at Chittagong Zilla Parishad auditorium in the afternoon but later around 5:00pm it was also postponed. Abu Taiyob, incumbent general secretary of north district BCL, said that senior leaders cancelled the council programme as trouble ensued. The leaders will take further decision about new committee, he said.
Taiyob alleged that a group of outsiders foiled the council programme.
Some eye witnesses said that a group of outsiders suddenly hurled a chair from the last row of the venue to the front side where several groups of BCL activists were chanting slogans supporting their candidates. Soon it turned into scuffle. At one stage, they exploded a hand-made bomb at the venue.
‘Five outsiders who entered into the venue from the tiny door at the back side foiled the council in a planned way. They might be the follower of a Lalkhanbazar ward AL leader,’ a BCL leader who saw the entering to the venue from the back door said seeking anonymity.
Jahangir Alam, senior assistant commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, said additional law enforcers were deployed avoiding unpleasant incidents at the council of Chittagong north district BCL. He said there was a little trouble ensued in the venue. Some people received minor injuries while trying to make way during the rush of people, Jahangir said.
The ruling party-baked student organisation’s leaders and activists engaged in the clashes following scuffle in Chittagong for the second consecutive day.
On Monday, some BCL factions clashed hurling chairs over chanting slogan at Laldighi field during a memorial meeting was being held for former Chittagong mayor late Mohiuddin Chowdhury.
- Courtesy: New Age Feb 28, 2018
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