At least four Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) activists were injured when a preparation meeting was attacked at Sapmara in Manikchari upazila of Khagrachari district on Friday evening. Three of the injured were sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) in critical condition for advanced treatment.
The incident took place around 7:30pm on Friday at the BNP party office in the Sapmara area. The meeting was being organised to prepare for the National Revolution and Solidarity Day observed on 7 November.
According to local sources, BNP leaders and activists spotted Md Amir Hossain, 40, the younger brother of Manikchari Upazila Awami League President and former chairman Md Joynal Abedin, at a shop adjacent to the party office during the meeting. The activists detained Amir Hossain and brought him into the party office.
As news of his detention spread, a group of people identified as followers of Joynal Abedin gathered in the area and launched a sudden assault on the BNP party office. The attackers snatched Amir Hossain back and assaulted the BNP activists with local weapons, sharp knives, and sticks, leaving four people severely injured.
Local residents and party workers rescued the injured and took them to the Manikchari Upazila Health Complex. Following primary treatment, attending doctors referred three of them to CMCH due to the severity of their injuries. The three injured sent to CMCH have been identified as Shafiqul Islam Sujon, 30, Md Shahadat Hossain, 20, and Md Saddam Hossain, 28.
Tension has been prevailing in Sapmara and surrounding areas following the clash, prompting law enforcement agencies to step up activity and surveillance to maintain control and avoid any untoward incidents.
Manikchari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Rashed Chowdhury said that no written complaint had been received by the police station regarding the incident so far, adding that the situation in the area is currently normal.
