AL-BNP clash in Gournadi, 50 injured
Our Correspondent, Barisal
The activists of ruling BNP and main opposition Awami League (AL) locked in sporadic clashes over holding Victory Day celebration rally at Gournadi in the district yesterday morning. At least 50 persons, including five policemen, were injured while tens of shops were ransacked in the incident.Both the parties blamed each other for the attacks. Two critically injured were admitted to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital. Witnesses and sources said Gournadi upazila AL planned to bring out a Victory Day rally led by its local leader Habibur Rahman. AL activists from Torki, Bilbagram, Diashur, Batajor, Mahilara Palardi villages and adjacent areas gathered at Gournadi to participate in the rally. Having learnt of the AL effort, Gournadi upazila BNP allegedly planned to resist them and ransacked Arif Telecom Centre, the AL rendezvous at Gournadi Bandar Thursday night. The BNP activists led by upazila BNP Secretary Sarwar Alam Biplob attacked the AL rally at about 7:00am yesterday morning. Soon, scattered clashes between the political rivals spread across an area from Gournadi Bandar to Bus Stand and Palli Bidyut Office. Later, at a press conference AL leader Habibur Rahman blamed the BNP for attacking their "peaceful" Victory Day rally. At another press conference at the Gournadi Press Club, Nur Alam Howladar, municipal chairman and BNP leader, accused the AL of attacking the "peaceful" BNP rally.
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