Riot police was kept deployed at Jaldhaka upazila headquarter yesterday as tension prevailed following a series of clashes between BNP and Jamaat-e-lslami on May Day that left at least 30 people injured.
Section 144, deployed at the upazila headquarter on the May Day, was however withdrawn on Monday.
Riot police was called out as police reinforcements from the district headquarter failed to stop clashes between activists of two components of the ruling alliance.
Thirteen tear gas shells and seven rubber bullets were fired to contain the violence, police said.
Witnesses alleged that Jamaat activists carrying lethal weapons damaged several shops and houses of local BNP leaders.
Tension prevailed as motorcycleriding BNP and Jamaat activists made sorties in the area one after another in a show of strength, witnesses said.
On Sunday, at least 100 Jamaat activists came to Jaldhaka Bazar and chased two BNP activists -Kamal and Ashraful. Shopkeepers downed their shutters in panic and people ran for safety.
On Monday, a large number of BNP activists moved in the area flexing muscles.
High officials from the district headquarter visited the area on Sunday.
The clashes ensued as local BNP and Jamaat brought out May Day processions at Jaldhaka, known as a Jamaat stronghold.
Jaldhaka BNP brought out a colourful procession under the banner of Sramik Sangram Oikko Parishad comprising 12 labour unions led by Municipal Chairman and Upazila BNP PresidentAnwarul Kabir Chowdhury.
The Jamaat, led by Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury MP, also formed a Sramik Kalyan Federation to observe the May Day though the party unit had no past record of observing the day in the area, local people said.
A clash between BNP and Jamaat erupted as the Sramik Kalyan Federation procession reached near the Motor Sramik Union office, a BNP stronghold, at about 1 pm.
Witnesses claimed that Jamaat activists ransacked the Motor Sramik Union office, municipal office, a petrol pump, several shops and attacked houses of Kabir Chowdhury and two other party men- Rustom Ali and Jamaat Ali in
Bogulagariarea.
They searched houses and looked for Kabir Chowdhury, the witnesses claimed.
The clashes soon spilled over to other areas.
The witnesses claimed that Sramik Kallyan Federation is a small organisation with only two unions but it brought in a large number of outsiders who were carrying lethal weapons.
As Jaldhaka police failed to control the situation, riot police from the district headquarter rushed to the spot and brought the situation undercontrol.
When contacted, Kabir Chowhdury told this correspondent that Jamaat MP Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury was behind the violence.
"They (Jamaat) did this in a planned way to prevent rise of BNP in the upazila".
He alleged that Jamaat brought in a large number of armed cadres from Rajshahi University, Rangpur Carmaichael University College and Dinajpur.
They were kept at AL-Falah Academy, an educational institution set up by Jamaat, he claimed.
As local people came to know that Jamaat activists from outside were staying at AL-Falah Academy, they were then sheltered at the
house of Jamaat MP Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury at Balagram village. Two white microbuses were used for their movement, he claimed.
Kabir Chowdhury also alleged that Jamaat activities desecrated the National Flag and damaged the photos of Khaleda Zia and Shaheed Ziaur Rahman at the municipal office.
Jamaat MP Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury told this correspondent that supporters of Kabir Chowdhury attack their peaceful procession, injuring 20 party activists.
He denied involvement of Jamaat activists in the May Day rampage.
President of the newly formed Sramik Kallyan Federation Mofid Alam told this correspondent that the outrage was a protest by Jaldhaka Bazar shop owners against "autocratic activities of the municipal chairman".
Nilphamari district Ameer of Jamat Mozammel Haq said the violence was done by a "third party" to create a rift in the Alliance.
To bring the situation to normalcy, a meeting of BNP and Jamaat leaders was held at the office of Jaldhaka thana OC at the behest of the district administration. The meeting formed an inquiry committee with two leaders from BN P and two from Jamat.