At least six people were injured in a clash between two groups of Sramik League, one of Awami League’s front organisations, over placing wreaths at the central Shaheed Minar in Manikganj Sadar Upazila on Tuesday.
The clash erupted between the followers of Sramik League leaders Abdul Jalil and Babul Sarkar around 9:00am in front of the central Shaheed Minar at Manikganj Govt High School. Later, the Jubo League and the Shecchashebok League also got involved in the fight.
Jubo League leaders Nazmul and Pradip Basu, Shecchashebok League leader Kajal and Sramik League leader Kader were among the injured.
According to police and party sources, a long-standing dispute has been going on between Abdul Jalil and Babul Sarkar over the leadership of district Sramik League. Both claim themselves as president of the district Sramik League.
On Tuesday morning, leaders and activists from Awami League’s front organisations gathered around Manikganj’s central Shaheed Minar to pay their homage to the 1952 Language Movement martyrs.
Later, district AL’s former additional secretary Sultanul Azam Khan announced the name of Abdul Jalil as the Shecchashebok League leader to place wreaths at the Shaheed Minar triggering protest from Babul Sarkar’s followers. Protests led to a massive clash between the two groups.
Senior party leaders and police officers intervened to bring the situation under control about half an hour later.
District Awami League's General Secretary Abdus Salam termed the incident "unexpected" and said disciplinary action would be taken against those who were involved in the clash.
Abdur Rouf, officer-in-charge of Kaliganj Police Station, told UNB that no complaint was immediately filed in this regard.
“However, the senior leaders of the district Awami League have managed to reach a compromise between the two groups,” he added.
