One person has been killed and 30 others injured in a clash at Cox’s Bazar, where BNP and Awami League supporters fought each other with the police trying to cap the violence.The clash, lasting three hours, erupted around 3pm near the Chakaria bus terminal on Friday afternoon, police said.
Police have recovered the body of Jaker Hossain, 42, said Additional Superintendent of Police, Cox’s Bazar, Md Tofail Ahmed.
Jaker was a local BNP activist, party leaders claimed.
Witnesses said BNP supporters clashed with the police around 3pm after the funeral prayers of Upazila Juba Dal Organising Secretary Abdul Halim at the bus terminal area.
Police fired several rounds in the air to drive back the BNP activists who had at wrecked least 30 vehicles.
They fought running battles with police before the situation came under control around 4pm, said Additional SP Tofail Ahmed.
But barely half an hour later, Awami League supporters descended on Opposition leaders and activists, sparking another round of violence.
Chakaria municipality mayor and BNP municipality unit Joint General Secretary Nurul Islam Haider said Jaker had been first taken to the Chakaria Jamjam Hospital in critical condition.
He was referred to the Chittagong Medical College and Hospital but died on the way, Haider added.
He claimed 15 of their leaders and activists had been injured in the fights.
Chakaria Police Station OC Ranjit Kumar Barua said eight policemen had also been injured.
Five of them had been admitted to the Upazila Health Complex, doctors there said.
Upazila Juba Dal Organising Secretary Abdul Halim, held on Tuesday and let off the following day, died in a hospital on Thursday night after being admitted for treatment.
The district unit of the BNP has called a dawn-to-dusk general strike in Cox’s Bazar on Sunday, alleging police torture to be the cause of Halim’s death. – bdnews24.com
