Youth killed, 13 injured in clash between BNP factions in Mirsarai

A youth was killed and 13 others injured when a clash broke out between the members of newly formed BNP committee and those deprived of their posts in Chattogram's Mirsarai.

The clash took place at 12noon on Wednesday (March 26).

Earlier, the administration imposed Section 144 in the Shaheed Minar area of ​​the Upazila due to the fear of the clash between the two BNP factions. A state of emergency has been imposed within 500 yards of the Shaheed Minar area from 8am on Wednesday to 8am on Thursday.

In the wake of a written complaint from the law enforcement agencies, a notification signed by Upazila Executive Officer Mahfuza Jerin announced the state of emergency at 6am on Wednesday.

The notification said that extreme tension has prevailed since March 24 over the dominance of the newly formed committee of various units of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in Mirsarai Upazila.

The officer-in-charge of Mirsarai Police Station has filed a written complaint that there could be a bloody clash between party leaders and activists at any time. In that context, in order to protect the safety of life and property and government property, Section 144 will be imposed in the 500-yard area within the upazila administration premises and its surroundings from 8am on March 26 to 8am on March 27.

During this time, all types of meetings, rallies, mass gatherings, demonstrations, carrying explosives, firearms and indigenous weapons, including movement or presence of more than five people together, have been banned.

It is learned that for more than two decades, the leaders and activists of Mirsarai Upazila BNP have been divided into two groups--North District BNP Joint Convener Nurul Amin group and Joint Convener Nurul Amin Chairman group. To resolve the party grouping, on March 31, 2022, the North District BNP announced a convening committee with Shahedul Islam Chowdhury as the convener on behalf of Nurul Amin and Gazi Nizam Uddin as the member secretary from the Nurul Amin chairman group. At the same time, the Mirsarai and Bariyarhat municipal committees were also announced, combining the two groups.

On March 12, a meeting of the Divisional Reorganization Committee in the presence of BNP Central Vice Chairman and Divisional Leader Advocate Ahmed Azam Khan announced the dissolution of the three unit committees of Mirsarai Upazila.

On Monday (March 24), a notice signed by Chittagong North District BNP convener Golam Akbar Khandaker announced the formation of an 83-member Upazila Committee with Abdul Awal Chowdhury as the convener and Azizul Islam Chowdhury as the member secretary, the Bariyarhat Municipality Committee with Mainuddin Chowdhury Liton as the convener and Jasim Uddin as the member secretary, and the Mirsarai Municipality Committee with Jamshed Alam Commissioner as the convener and Kamrul Hasan Liton as the member secretary.

Except for a couple of leaders included in the committee, all are known to be supporters of Chittagong North District BNP joint convener Nurul Amin and former Upazila BNP convener Shahedul Islam Chowdhury.

Immediately after the announcement of the committee, leaders and activists supported by Nurul Amin Chairman held protest marches against the announced committee in various unions of the upazila.

During this time, vandalism and attacks occurred at several places. The leaders and activists supported by Nurul Amin Chairman announced resistance in Mirsarai. As a result, extreme tension arose among the BNP leaders and activists in Mirsarai.

Chittagong North District BNP Joint Convener Nurul Amin said that the announced committee is a committee of the nationalist party. No committee is formed unilaterally. Those who are angry today have been using their party positions to commit various misdeeds including terrorism and extortion. The party's high-level leaders are aware of this.

Another joint convener of Chittagong North District BNP, Nurul Amin Chairman, said that the activities of the new committee will depend on whether the party leaders and activists accept them or not. He did not agree to comment further on the new committee.

Chittagong North District BNP Convener Golam Akbar Khandaker said in this regard, that some people may be dissatisfied if our party announces a new committee, which is natural. As the previous committee failed to fulfill its responsibilities, we have declared the committee dissolved on the advice of the BNP's Chittagong Divisional Reorganization Committee and announced a new convening committee. Positions have been given to the new committee considering past experience and sacrifices.