The armed violence erupted following a quarrel in a meeting yesterday afternoon between the two sides -- one backed by Jamaat-e-Islami and the other by BNP, both ruling coalition partners -- over the date of the madrasa's annual excursion, witnesses said.

Sources said the ICS chapter wrote to the madrasa authorities to shift the excursion date, slated for today, but the JCD chapter insisted on keeping the schedule unchanged. The authorities then invited the two sides to meet and resolve the issue at 1:00pm.

ICS madrasa chapter president Ilias Hossain and general secretary Boni Ameen were critically injured in the two-hour clash. They and two other ICS members, Shariful and Saiful, were admitted to Kushtia General Hospital.

Witnesses reported of an exchange of fire and bomb blasts amid chases and counter-chases by the warring student groups.

Police and paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) contingents have been deployed on the downtown madrasa campus to contain the still volatile situation. Law enforcers were planning to raid the lone residential hall of the madrasa after midnight yesterday to recover any hidden firearms.