Both the ruling BNP and the opposition Awami League (AL) attacked and ransacked each other's office at Baufal upazila in Patuakhali district on Saturday.

Twenty persons were injured in the incident. Of them Mahmuda Begum,38, Humayun Kabir,40, Akkas Molla,29, and Nuru Mia,50, were admitted to a local hospital with critical injuries.

According to eye-witnesses, a group of 20 to 25 BNP activists attacked and ransacked the upazila AL office at Janata Bhavan in Baufal on Saturday. At that time the AL leaders and workers were taking preparations to hold a meeting and a procession in protest against attack on exmember of parliament (MP) and party president in the upazila ASM Firoz by local MP and BNP president Shahidul Alam Talukder and his men inside the UNO office complex. They attacked Firoz for protesting the BNP MP's interference in the Rickshaw Sramik Samabaya Samity election on

April 30. Attackers damaged pictures of Bangabandhu and Sheikh Hasina. They also looted furniture of the opposition party office.

AL workers retaliated by attacking the BNP office in Hassan Dalal Market of Baufal municipality. They too ransacked and damaged Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and exPresident Ziaur Rahman's photos. They looted valuables including furniture of the ruling party office, alleged BNP leaders.

After the incident BNP workers brought out a protest procession.

Tension prevailed in the area although police quelled the situation.

Two cases were lodged by the rival parties. AL Leader and the municipality chairman candidate Abul Kalam lodged a complaint accusing 55 BNP men.

The upazila organising secretary of BNP Waliur Rahman lodged another case accusing 52 AL men including ex-MP and AL president ASM Firoz.

However, none was arrested.