Desk Report,
Clashes between two BNP factions in Raozan, 20 injured including North District Convener
At least 20 people were injured in a clash between two factions of BNP in Raozan, Chittagong. The incident took place in the Sattarhat area of the Chittagong-Rangamati road on Tuesday afternoon.
Clashes between two BNP factions in Raozan, 20 injured including North District Convener
The incident took place between the followers of BNP Central Vice Chairman Gias Uddin Quader Chowdhury and North District BNP convener Golam Akbar Khandaker. Golam Akbar Khandaker himself was injured in the pellet gunfire. He claimed that his convoy was attacked. Eyewitnesses to the incident and police sources said that Golam Akbar Khandaker went to visit the grave of the late president of the upazila BNP with a convoy of leaders and activists as per a pre-arranged program. On the same day, the followers of Gias Uddin Quader had a pre-arranged motorcycle procession in preparation for the rally on August 9. When Golam Akbar reached the Sattarhat area with his convoy, he was confronted by the followers of Gias Uddin Quader who had taken up positions there. At that time, a clash broke out between the two parties. At least 20 people from both sides were injured in this.
A video from the scene shows that the front and rear windows of a Pajero jeep in Golam Akbar’s convoy were shattered. The interior of the vehicle was also damaged. Several motorcycles were set on fire during the incident. Traffic was stopped immediately after the incident. Later, after the police arrived, traffic started moving on one side of the road. When asked to know, Chittagong North District BNP convener Golam Akbar Khandaker told Prothom Alo this afternoon, “We were going to visit the grave. Gias Uddin Quader’s followers blocked the road in the depths. When we reached the Raozan Sattahat area, they started attacking us. They also opened fire. Then I was hit by a shrapnel bullet in the neck.”
Golam Akbar claimed that at least 15 people, including his personal assistant, were injured.
When asked, BNP Central Vice Chairman Gias Uddin Quader Chowdhury told Prothom Alo on his mobile phone this afternoon, “I have been sick for a week. I don’t know anything about the incident. I was asleep.’
Firoz Ahmed, joint convener of Raozan Upazila BNP, a follower of Gias Uddin Quader, said, today’s attack was planned to spoil the anniversary celebrations of the July-August mass uprising. Hired terrorists opened fire indiscriminately on the peaceful motorcycle procession of the Jubo Dal. Golam Akbar’s people brought terrorists from Fatikchhari and carried out the attack. Raozan Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Monirul Islam Bhuiyan told Prothom Alo in the afternoon that one party was going to visit a grave, while the other party was in a procession. The two parties faced off when Golam Akbar Khandaker was taking his followers’ convoy to the Sattahat area. Later, the police went and brought the situation under control. Initially, traffic was stopped for some time, but later it normalized.
It is worth noting that a total of 13 murders have occurred in Raozan due to violence since August 5 last year. Out of these, 10 were political murders. Clashes broke out between the two sides of the BNP at least a hundred times. More than three hundred people were shot in these incidents.
