Five leaders and activists of the National Citizen Party (NCP), including its Moulvibazar district senior joint convener Ehsan Zakaria, have been detained and sent to court following a clash between two factions of the party in Kulaura.
The incident, which police said stemmed from an internal dispute within the party, took place at around 8pm on Thursday (27 August) on the Kulaura-Barlekha-Chandgram road in the North Bazar area of Kulaura town. Ten people have been named in a case filed over the confrontation, while another 10 to 15 unidentified individuals have also been accused.
Police detained Ehsan Zakaria, NCP leaders Tofayel Ahmed, Sahel Ahmed, Fahim Ahmed Jony and Sohag Mia from the scene, alleging that they were involved in provoking the confrontation and creating disorder. The five were produced before a court on Friday morning.
Around 10 people were reportedly injured in the clash. The injured received treatment at Kulaura Health Complex, according to information available after the incident.
Dispute over party influence
According to the first information report, the dispute between the two groups had been developing for some time over internal disagreements and competition for influence within the district organisation. One side is led by Ehsan Zakaria, while the other is associated with Tamim Ahmed, a former joint coordinator of the district NCP.
Tension reportedly escalated between supporters of the two groups on Thursday night. What began as a verbal altercation eventually turned into a physical confrontation, prompting police to intervene.
A special team from Kulaura Police Station reached the area after receiving information about the clash and brought the situation under control.
The case was filed on Thursday night by Tamim Ahmed. The accused named in the case are Ehsan Zakaria, 32; Tofayel Ahmed, 27; Sahel Ahmed, 22; Fahim Ahmed Jony, 28; Sohag Mia, 22; Juned Ahmed, 24; Tarek Jamil, 26; Ruhul Amin, 36; Ariful Islam, 25; and Ifti, 21. Ten to 15 unidentified people have also been included in the case.
Allegations raised by complainant
Tamim Ahmed has made several allegations against Ehsan Zakaria and his associates. He claimed that Zakaria demanded Tk 500,000 for including their names in the district committee. According to Tamim, he refused to pay the money, after which tensions between the two sides intensified.
Tamim also alleged that after he posted on Facebook about what he described as alleged extortion-related activities involving members of the opposing group, he received death threats from Ehsan Zakaria and Tarek Jamil.
Describing Thursday night’s incident, Tamim said he and his associates were travelling from Moulvibazar towards Barlekha when they came under an attack in the North Bazar area of Kulaura. He alleged that the attackers used locally made weapons.
Tamim further claimed that local residents subsequently detained some of those involved and handed them over to police.
The allegations contained in the case have not been independently verified, and no immediate response from Ehsan Zakaria or the other accused was available.
Party promises internal investigation
Moulvibazar district NCP convener Khaled Ahmed said he had learned about the confrontation between the two groups. He said the party would investigate the incident internally and take organisational action against those found responsible.
The development comes as the relatively new political organisation continues to build its organisational structure at the local level. Disputes over committee formation, leadership roles and influence can become particularly significant for emerging political parties as they establish district and grassroots structures.
Police said their immediate priority was to restore order and take legal action in connection with the reported violence.
Kulaura Police Station officer-in-charge Sheikh Zahirul Islam Munna said police responded after receiving information about the clash and succeeded in bringing the situation under control. He confirmed that a case had been filed against 10 named individuals and that the five detainees had been sent to court on Friday morning.
He added that police operations were continuing to locate and detain the remaining accused named in the case.
The investigation is expected to establish how the confrontation began, who was directly involved and whether the allegations made by either side can be substantiated.
