Sarker Shahidul Islam Shaheed, Mayor of Madhupur Municipality of the district, was arrested on Thursday as clashes erupted between two units of the main opposition BNP in the area injuring at least 50 people including 10 cops. Food Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque MP of the constituency, while attending the National Mourning day programme at a press briefing in Madhupur Upazila Awami League office in the afternoon, said two groups of BNP locked in clashes and Madhupur turned into a battlefield.
From spot survey, it is gathered that conflict arose between two groups of BNP– one fraction, led by central leader of BNP Fakir Mahbub Anam Swapan, also an aspiring candidate of Tangail-1 (Madhupur-Dhanbari) constituency, backed by Poura Mayor Sarker Shahidul Islam Shaheed, and the other group, led by Engineer Abdul Latif ex-JCD leader and an aspiring candidate of the next national election from the same constituency.
Sources said supporters of Swapan Fokir attacked on the supporters of Abdul Latif. It is alleged that the Mayor opened five rounds of blank fire from his revolver and tore the posters and billboards belonging to Abdul Latif in the area on Wednesday night injuring a person.
Amjad Hossain, elder brother of Abdul Latif and a councilor of Madhupur Municipality, lodged a complaint against the Mayor. Police arrested Shaheed in the early hours of Thursday and freed him later in the morning, but again they arrested him for the second time at around 11 am.
Supporters of the Mayor then put road barricade on Madhupur-Tangail, Madhupur-Mymensingh and Madhupur-Jamalpur highway damaging more than 100 vehicles which caused about 25 km traffic congestion on three roads. They also set fire on a police vehicle on Madhupur Bridge and threw brick bats on police. Chase and counter-chase continued for about two hours. Later, Riot police from Tangail rushed to the spot and lobbed more than 100 tear shells and rubber bullets to disperse the mob.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Madhupur Mohammad Habibullah told The Independent UNO’s vehicle was damaged. A traffic surgeon’s motorcycle and a police van were also torched by the mob, he added. Anisur Rahman Hira, secretary of Truck drivers Union of Madhupur Upazila unit said 20 workers were bullet hit in the incident.
OC of Madhupur Police Station Mojibur Rahman said 17 persons have been arrested till 4 pm in this connection and the raid has been continuing.
Normalcy was restored at the area at 3pm. Additional police forces have been deployed there to avoid untoward situation.
-With The Independent input
