The attacks were carried out as the AL men tried to break roadblocks to force their way to the council venue, Balur Math, in town where BNP's student chapter Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) timed a protest rally to coincide with AL's programme.

The district administration sought two platoons of Bangladesh Rifles personnel late last night as the wave of violence sparked tempers in town.

Central leaders of the AL failed to reach the town as BNP men halted their cars by placing logs and parking trucks on the road to the council venue close to Bahu Mukhi High School.

Several hours into the roadblock, the frontline AL leaders including Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Saber Hossain Chowdhury and Abdul Mannan drove back to Dhaka after they addressed an instant rally at Sipahipara crossing.

Of the injured, Yunus Ahmed Khan, 48, an AL leader, was stabbed and sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with severe wounds.

His family said a gang of 12 beat and stabbed him as he reached the local BNP office shortly before 11:00am.

Section 144 was slapped two days ago when JCD's local unit scheduled its rally at the same venue to protest the stabbing of one of its leader allegedly by activists of AL's student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League on Friday.

The superintendent of police in Munshiganj told The Daily Star that steps were taken to avoid violence and said the clash left one injured.

AL PRESS CONFERENCE

The central AL leaders organised a press conference at Sipahipara in the district and accused BNP lawmaker Abdul Hye of patronising the group blamed for the violence.

Some AL presidium members briefed the press on the incident and said Hye was among the 101 men of the ruling alliance, whom the AL branded as godfathers.

Talking to The Daily Star by telephone last night, Saber, also political secretary to the leader of the opposition, described Munshiganj as the hotspot of hooliganism.

Saber said the AL got permission from the district administration to use the venue for the council well ahead of JCD's rally.

Deputy Commissioner Syed Mustafizur Rahman also said the AL had announced its programme on December 13, but the administration had no option but to impose Section 144 later to avoid disorder.

Hye told a gathering in front of the BNP office in Munshiganj that the movement would continue until police arrest the attackers of JCD leader Biplob.

AL's Munshiganj district unit President Mohammad Mohiuddin said the roadblock to bar AL leaders from reaching Balur Math proved the JCD convened its rally to foil the AL council.