Staff ReporterAt least five people were killed and 60 other injured including six policemen in a triangular clash between police and two groups of villagers over constructing a coal-based power plant at Banshkhali upazila in Chittagong on Monday.Banshkhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammed Shamsuzzaman told The New Nation last night that he knew three people were killed in the clash whose identity could not be found immediately.The UNO said the locals swooped on police and the magistrate during the clash between two groups of villagers at the Gondamara union on Monday afternoon. “At one stage of the clash, police opened fire on the unruly people to save lives and properties.” he said.Chittagong District Additional Superintendent of Police (DSB) Mohammed Abdul Awal said the local authority imposed section 144 at the Gondamara Union area as the two local groups called for rallies at the same place and same time centreing the coal-based power plant to be set up by S Alam Group. “Around 2500-3000 villagers gathered at the place at around 2:30pm defying Section 144 and attacked police with lethal weapons and firearms. They cordoned the law enforcers,” he said. “The law enforcers tried to disperse the two groups. At one stage of the melee, police were forced to open fire to save their lives.”Abdul Awal said at least six police sustained bullet-hit and were sent to the upazila health complex for treatment.Additional Superintendent of Police (South) Md Habibur Rahman told media that villagers swooped on the policemen prompting them to fire to bring the situation under control where more than 10 police persons were injured.The situation was under control but tension was mounting in the area following the three-hour long clash, added Habib.A sub-Inspector at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) police outpost Jahirul Islam said two bullet-hit villagers – Mujibur Rahman, 28, Ansar Uddin, 30 – were admitted to the hospital at around 7:30pm.Local sources said there was long standing feud between the two groups of villagers over favouring and opposing the 1,320 Megawatt coal-based power plant to be set up at the coastal area.The two groups had called rallies on Monday at the same place and same time while the local authorities imposed Section 144 to avert any untoward incident.S Alam Group and SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction Corporation of China inked an agreement recently to set up the 1,320 megawatt coal-fired power plant at Banshkhali upazila.A joint venture company (JVC) is going to build two 660 MW (1320 MW gross capacity) power plants to be run with imported coal. The government has selected SS Power-1 Ltd for the construction of first unit through a tender process while SS Power-2 Ltd was given an unsolicited deal to construct the second unit.
