Eight Injured as Rival BNP Factions Clash Over Nomination in Munshiganj

At least eight people, including a woman, were injured in a violent confrontation between two factions of the BNP in Gazaria upazila of Munshiganj. The clash erupted on Friday afternoon following internal disputes over the party’s nomination for the upcoming parliamentary election. During the hour-long chaos, several vehicles and an office were vandalised, heightening tension in the area.

The incident occurred around 5 pm at Jamaldi bus stand in Hosendi Union. Law enforcement personnel, led by the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO), Mahmudul Hasan, rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. Despite their efforts, a tense atmosphere continues to prevail in the locality, with additional police deployed to prevent further violence.

The injured were identified as Swadhin (28), Shirina Begum (46), Saidul (25), Delowar (49), Mostafa (48), Sujon (23), Asif Mir (19), and Nayon (26). Among them, Swadhin and Saidul sustained more serious injuries and were transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment. Others received first aid at local facilities.

According to local sources, the unrest was triggered shortly after the BNP announced its list of candidates for 36 constituencies nationwide on Thursday. In the list, the party nominated its central Social Welfare Affairs Secretary, Md Kamruzzaman Ratan, for the Munshiganj-3 seat. The decision reportedly angered Mahiduddin Ahmed, the district BNP’s member secretary, who had also sought the nomination. Tensions began brewing between supporters of the two leaders soon after the announcement.

Eyewitnesses in the Jamaldi bus stand area recounted that around 5 pm, supporters of Mahiduddin Ahmed gathered near Sahara Market, preparing for a torch procession. The group was primarily led by Ali Hossain, joint convener of the upazila Jubo Dal. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the road, supporters of Kamruzzaman Ratan assembled under the leadership of another Jubo Dal joint convener, Masum Ahmed, and local BNP leader Momin Mridha. As both groups came face-to-face, heated arguments quickly turned into violent clashes.

Ali Hossain alleged that his group had been preparing for a peaceful demonstration when they were suddenly attacked. “We were getting ready for the torch procession when they assaulted us without any provocation. They vandalised my car and office and beat up six to seven of our members,” he claimed.

However, the opposing faction denied the allegation and presented a different account. BNP leader Momin Mridha stated, “People in Gazaria were delighted that Kamruzzaman Ratan received the nomination. We were preparing for a celebratory procession. But at that moment, shots were fired and crude bombs were thrown from Ali Hossain’s office. Bricks and stones followed. We had no option but to defend ourselves.”

Amid these conflicting accounts, district BNP’s convening committee member Muhammad Masud Faruk insisted that the clash should not be interpreted as infighting within the party. “This was not a dispute between BNP factions,” he said. “People were celebrating Ratan bhai’s nomination, and they simply resisted those aligned with Awami League elements.”

Officer-in-charge of Gazaria Police Station, Anwar Alam Azad, confirmed that law enforcement responded promptly. “We reached the scene as soon as we were notified. The situation is now under control,” he stated.

The incident highlights deepening tensions within the BNP at the local level ahead of the national election, with nomination disputes emerging as a significant source of unrest.