Two rival factions of the Chittagong city unit of BNP locked into scuffle over cutting cake to celebrate the 69th birthday of the party’s chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia here in the port city on Thursday morning. Witnesses said that the brawl took place at Nasimon Bhaban, office of the city unit of BNP, and it was initiated between the supporters of Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, president of the unit, and the supporters of Dr Shahadat Hossain, general secretary, when Chowdhury was off to cut the cake after finishing his speech. As Dr Shahadat was not asked to address the occasion, his supporters raised slogans against Chowdhury and locked into altercation with Chowdhury’s followers. The altercation later turned into a scuffle at around 11:15 am. During this time a crude bomb was exploded on the road in front of the office, making the situation more tensed.
Amidst the bustle and scuffle Chowdhury cut the cake and left the party office at around 11:30 am, while Shahadat along with his followers left the office at around 11:45. Meanwhile, some activists tried to set fire to the car of Dr Shahadat.
Nezam Uddin, Inspector (Investigation) of Kotowali police station, said that a crude bomb was exploded on the road in front of Nasimon Bhaban when the program was on. “Police recovered another unexploded bomb from the spot”, Nezam said, adding that some people also tried to set fire on Dr Shahadat’s car while others doused the blaze.
Declining the factional feud between him and Chowdhury, Dr Shahadat told the journalists that there is no intra feud in the party. “The agents of the ruling party intruded in our party and they are trying to develop a crack in the party”, he said, adding that those who set fire in the party office earlier tried to burn down his car today.
It is mentionable, the distance between factions of Chowdhury and Dr Shahadat became more visible after the new committee of the city unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) was declared in the last month. The JCD leaders who were excluded from the committee protested the issue and got involved in several clashes.
-With The Independent input
