A clash broke out on Saturday between two factions of the Awami League in Saturia upazila of Manikganj over placing of wreaths at an altar for Liberation War martyrs.
At least six persons sustained injuries in the skirmish and one of them was hospitalized.
The clash created panic among locals, and Saturia police station OC Md Ahsraful Alam said they had to intervene to bring the situation under control.
Md Ruhul Amin, president of Baliati union unit of the ruling party, said: “I laid a wreath [at the altar] with party leaders and activists on the behalf of the whole union unit. Soon after, expelled general secretary Mir Sohel Ahmed Chowdhury and his supporters placed another wreath using the party’s banner.”
“There is only one union Awami League committee here… it was wrong of them to lay a separate wreath at the altar,” he added.
Then an altercation ensued between the two groups and soon snowballed into a clash, said Ruhul.
Sohel, who is also chairman of Baliati union parishad, said he had been suspended from the party as he had contested the union parishad elections as a rebel candidate.
“The suspension was later withdrawn, which was why I placed the wreath under the party’s banner,” he added.
Saturia Awami League General Secretary Md Afaz Uddin said people involved in the clash would face disciplinary action.
