At least 21 people were injured in separate clashes between activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami in Bhola and Cumilla on Saturday while they were continuing electioneering for their respective parties.
Of them, 13 were injured in Bhola and eight were injured in Cumilla.
The BNP and Jamaat traded blame on each other for the clashes.
The clash in Bhola occurred when Jamaat activists went to BNP activist Ayub Ali’s home at Tobgi union under Borhanuddin upazila at about 8:30am to seek votes.
Jamaat claimed that eight of their activists were injured and the BNP claimed that five of their activists were hurt in the clash.
Addressing a press conference in the Borhanuddin Press Club, Jamaat leaders alleged that BNP leaders and activists were responsible for the clash and that they submitted a written complaint to the assistant returning officer.
Borhanuddin police station officer-in-charge Md Moniruzzaman said in the evening that they had yet to receive any formal complaint.
Jamaat’s Borhanuddin upazila unit amir Maksudur Rahman said that BNP activist Ayub Ali and his brother attacked Jamaat activists with locally-made weapons.
Denying the allegations, BNP’s Borhanuddin upazila unit president Kazi Muhammad Azam said that Jamaat leaders and activists attacked their activists in a pre-planned way.
He also alleged that Jamaat activists vandalised the houses of BNP activists.
New Age correspondent in Cumilla reported that the BNP-Jamaat clash that left eight people injured occurred at Jagannath union under Chauddagram upazila in Cumilla on Saturday afternoon, while Jamaat activists were on their way home after attending Jamaat amir Shafiqur Rahman’s election rally.
The injured people include Islami Chhatra Shibir leader Rifat Sunny, Jamaat activists Rasel and Robiul Hossain Rocky, BNP’s Chauddagram upazila unit vice-president Solaiman Chowdhury, Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal upazila unit joint convener Mizan Khan, and activists Mamun, Nazma Begum and Nargis.
Jamaat’s upazila unit amir Muhammad Belal Hossain said that BNP activists attacked their activists on the way home after attending an election rally.
BNP Chauddagram upazila unit general secretary Shah Alam Razu said that BNP was conducting its peaceful political activities and Jamaat leaders and activists attacked them first.
Chauddagram police station officer-in-charge Abu Mahmud Kawser Hossain said in the evening that a team of the police and the Bangladesh Army went to the spot and the situation became normal.
‘We have not received any complaint so far from any of the parties,’ the OC added.
Political violence is becoming deadlier across the country as the 13th parliamentary election is nearing.
According to the rights group Ain o Salish Kendra, at least 10 people were killed and 555 others injured in 65 clashes from January 1 to January 28.
