Five people, including a police officer, were injured after two factions of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) clashed during programmes marking the party’s founding anniversary in Sreenagar upazila of Munshiganj.
The incident took place at around 11.30am on Tuesday, 1 September, in front of Zamzam Tower in the main market area of Sreenagar. The confrontation reportedly involved chasing, counter-chasing and physical clashes between supporters of the two groups.
Police and several local sources said the dispute involved supporters of Munshiganj-1 constituency MP Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and those aligned with Mir Sarafat Ali Sapu, the BNP’s central executive committee secretary responsible for voluntary affairs.
Both sides had organised separate programmes to mark the party’s founding anniversary. Tensions reportedly escalated when supporters from the two groups arrived in the area with processions. The situation subsequently deteriorated into a clash, prompting police to intervene and attempt to bring the situation under control.
Among those injured was Milton Dutta, investigation officer of Sreenagar Police Station. He was reportedly struck on the head by a piece of brick thrown during the confrontation. Roni, 27, a supporter of the MP’s group, and a 40-year-old union parishad member from the opposing side were also injured. A total of five people from the two sides, including the police officer, were injured in the incident.
All the injured were taken to Sreenagar Upazila Health Complex for treatment. No detailed information was immediately available regarding the severity of their injuries.
Speaking about the incident, Milton Dutta said both groups had arranged separate programmes to observe the BNP’s founding anniversary. According to him, the confrontation broke out when the groups arrived with their respective processions.
“Police were working to bring the situation under control when a piece of brick hit me on the head,” he said.
Dutta added that neither side had filed a formal complaint with the police over the incident at the time of his statement. Police have, however, deployed additional personnel at several points in the area as a precautionary measure to prevent any further confrontation.
Attempts were made to obtain comments from Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, the MP for Munshiganj-1, and Mir Sarafat Ali Sapu, the BNP’s central executive committee secretary responsible for voluntary affairs. Neither responded to telephone calls seeking their comments.
The incident has highlighted tensions between rival groups within the local BNP during a major party programme. With additional police deployed in several locations, authorities are maintaining heightened security in the area to prevent any recurrence of violence.
