BNP, Gono Odhikar Parishad involve clash in Patuakhali; Nurul Haque confined

At least 20 people were injured in a violent clash between supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Gono Odhikar Parishad in the Char Biswas area of Galachipa upazila on Thursday evening (June 12).

The incident also led to GAP President Nurul Haque Nur being confined for several hours.

The clash erupted around 7:30pm on June 12 when Gono Odhikar Parishad supporters reportedly vandalised the Char Biswas Union BNP office following an altercation. According to Gono Odhikar Parishad leaders, the violence was triggered by an alleged attack on Nur's younger brother, Aminul Islam Nur, while he was holding a meeting with local businessmen in Char Biswas Bazaar. GAP claimed local BNP members ambushed the meeting, injuring Aminul and others.

In retaliation, angry Gono Odhikar Parishad activists attacked the nearby BNP office. BNP leaders countered the accusation, alleging that Aminul and his associates launched the assault, injuring at least 10 to 12 BNP workers.

Amid the tensions, Nurul Haque Nur, who was attending a mass meeting in the Patabunia area of Bakulbaria Union at the time, was blocked inside a local party office by BNP supporters. Roadblocks made of fallen trees and other debris prevented him from leaving the area for nearly three hours, from 10:45pm to 1:27am

In a Facebook post, Nur criticised law enforcement and questioned their ability to maintain order during elections, stating, "The police and army have not been able to remove the terrorists from the road yet. How will this administration handle the election?"

Local police confirmed the clash, with Galachipa Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Asadur Rahman stating that officers were dispatched to the scene and the situation is now under control. “Around 5-7 people were injured from both sides,” he added.