The ruling party’s local unit rejected the allegation.
BNP’s upazila unit General Secretary Shamsul Islam said they held a rally in front of the party office in Dhangora Bazar with the permission of the election official and police. After the rally, BNP candidate Mannan Talukdar and his supporters started canvassing in the area.
“Awami League activists attacked us in presence of police,” he claimed.
The attackers vandalised a motorcycle and several benches and chairs of the BNP office, he added.
But AL’s upazila unit General Secretary Shariful Islam Sharif said the BNP activists had first attacked Awami League men. “Four to five of our activists were injured. A running battle took place when the locals tried to stop the attack,” he said.
Raiganj Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Panchananda Sarkar said there was a pitched battle between BNP and Awami League activists. “We rushed to the spot but did not find anything,” he said.