At least 25 people were injured in a clash between two factions of BNP at Bhaluka upazila in Mymensingh.
The incident, centered on a dispute over establishing dominance in jute business, took place on Saturday afternoon near Raida Collection Factory in Jamidia Mother's Mosque area of Habirbari union of the upazila.
Later, the violence escalated, resulting in the burning and vandalizing of 13 motorcycles.
According to locals, the conflict erupted between two groups-- one was led by Saiful, reportedly aligned with BNP's union general secretary Ziaur Rahman Zia and vice-president Mojibur Mondal, while the opposing faction was headed by local BNP leader Shamim. The clash, which started near the factory, soon spilled onto the highway, disrupting traffic flow.
Shamim Ahmed, a BNP Jubo Dal leader, alleged, "Local BNP workers are being sidelined by Jubo League leader Saiful and BNP union leaders Ziaur Rahman Zia and Mojibur Mondal. When they attempted to seize jute forcibly, they attacked us as we tried to stop them, leaving 25-30 of our members injured and burning 13 of our motorcycles."
Bhaluka Model Police Station officer-in-charge Shamsul Huda Khan confirmed, "Both groups vandalized nearby shops and set 13 motorcycles on fire. The clash caused severe traffic disruptions on the highway, inconveniencing passengers. The situation was brought under control by police, fire service, and army intervention."
Police have since recovered the burned motorcycles and filed cases from both parties involved. Investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend those responsible, added the OC.
