At least 25 people, including a Swechchhasebak League leader, were injured in a clash between the supporters Awami League-backed mayoral candidate and a rebel candidate in Naria Municipality on Saturday. Police and witnesses said some supporters of Awami League rebel contender M Shahidul Islam Babu attacked the supporters of the party-backed mayoral candidate Haider Ali on Friday night while campaigning for Haider Ali in Munshari Bari area, leaving three people, including a woman, injured. As a sequel to the incident, supporters of Haider Ali, also the incumbent mayor, attacked the supporters of Shahidul, upazila unit AL member, while they were on electioneering in front of the upazila headquarters around 12pm today that trigged a clash between them. At one stage, a chase and counter-chase took place between them when they exploded over 100 crude bombs, leaving the 25 people injured from both sides. Of the injured, Naria upazila Swechchhasebak League joint secretary Shamim Bepari was sent to Dhaka in a critical condition while the rest were taken to different hospitals and clinics of the district. Traffic on Naria and Shariatpur road was disrupted for three hours during the clash. Officer-in-charge of Naria Police Station Ikram Ali said additional police have been deployed in the area to avert further trouble. –Shariatpur, Dec 26 (UNB)
