AL infighting kills 1 in Gajaria

A person was killed and 20 others were injured in a clash between two rival groups of the ruling Awami League (AL) over previous enmity at Char Bolaki village under Gajaria upazila of Munshiganj yesterday.

The deceased Rafiqul Islam, 55, son of Hazrat Ali Bepari of the village, was the supporter of a faction led by Amirul Islam, industry and commerce affairs secretary of the district unit of AL.

Arju Mia, officer-in-charge of Gajaria Police Station, told The Daily Star that supporters of Amirul and Abdul Motin Montu, former chairman of the upazila, locked in the clash at about 1:45pm.

They were returning to the village after appearing before a Munshiganj court in connection with cases filed over previous enmity, he said.

During the hour-long clash, both groups used sharp weapons and exchanged several rounds of bullets, witnesses said.

Rafiqul received three bullets in his chest during the clash. He was rushed to Munshiganj Sadar Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Locals said that Amirul and Montu-backed candidates had lost their ballots in the recently held union parishad election. From then, the supporters of both groups often lock in clashes in their attempts to establish supremacy in the area.

At least four cases have been filed against each other in last few days.

thedailystar

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