Staff Reporter :At least 10 persons were injured, of them two sustained bullet wounds, in a fierce clash between the activists of ruling party’s two associate organisations -Bangladesh Chhatra League [BCL] and Awami Jubo League [AJL] – in the city’s Rampura on Thursday.The clash erupted when a group of BCL activists equipped with firearms, machete and sticks attacked the anti-hartal procession of AJL at West Rampura DIT Road at about 12:30 pm. The AJL men brought out the procession yesterday to register their protest against the hartal which was enforced by Jamaat-e Islami following the death verdict of Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed. Among the injured, seven were identified as Md Selim [a leader of local BCL unit], Lipu, Arif, Jahiruddin, Zahangir, Soeb Ahmed and Masud [all are AJL activists]. The identities of three others were not available instantly.The injured were admitted to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital [DMCH]. Of them, the condition of bullet injured BCL leader Md Selim was stated to be critical. According to the witnesses, the local AJL leader Raisuddin brought out the anti-hartal procession and it was attacked by BCL men led by Tapu when arrived at DIT Road. Several vehicles including over a dozen of motorcycles were vandalized in the area during the clash. The entire area was rocked when BCL men opened fire from automatic weapons and exploded several cocktails. Officer-in Charge of Rampura Police Station Rafiqul Islam said: “Several persons were injured when BCL men attacked the procession of AJL. We have sent the injured persons to hospital. At present, the situation in the area is under our control.” On the other hand, Convener of AJL Rampura Unit Mahbub Hossain said: “The expelled BCL leaders have conducted attack on the procession. At least 10/12 AJL men were injured in the attack.” Meanwhile, the AJL men also attacked the BCL activists at DMCH when they brought injured BCL leader Selim for treatment. At that time two more BCL activists Saimon and Babul received injuries. OC of Rampura said the clash between the two associate bodies of Awami League occurred due to long-standing feud over maintaining supremacy in the area.
