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20 hurt as Pabna BNP men clash over new convening committee

Our Correspondent, pabna
At least 20 BNP activists were injured as two factions of the party engaged in a clash in front of Pabna district unit BNP office yesterday noon.
Major (retd) KS Mahmud, former president of Pabna district unit BNP and joint convenor of the newly declared convening committee, and Kamrul Hassan Mintu, incumbent chairman of Pabna municipality and organising secretary of die previous district BNP committee, arc among the injured.
Internal feud of district BNP surfaced anew after the party central committee declared a convening committee of Pabna district unit BNPonTuesday night.
A large faction of BNP activists observed demonstration programmes in the town on Wednesday demanding cancellation of the new committee.
On the other hand, supporters of the new convening committee organised a welcome rally yesterday and several hundred BNP leaders and workers assembled at Pabna district unit BNP office on the occasion.
The rival faction led by Kamrul Hassan Mintu also brought out a procession in the town.
As the procession came to the district BNP office, leaders and activists of the two groups got excited and engaged in clashes
season and they face problems in cultivating crops.
They have urged re-excavation of the riverbed and construction of sluice gates to facilitate irrigation.
“Due to irrigation problem, farmers in the nearby villages have abandoned Boro farming and switched to vegetable cultivation but it is also hampered in the dry session due to lack of water," said Md Shamsuddin Sheikh, deputy director of Barguna Agricultural Extension Department.
With less availability of fish in the river, many fishermen, boatmen and other people, who were once dependent on the river, have changed profession.
Pollution in the narrowed down stream has taken a serious turn as chemical wastes from small industries, on or near the banks of Khakdhan River, are left to the river.
Human wastes from some 750 open toilets on the riverbanks and hundreds others across the town also find their ways into the river through drains and canals.
Environment Directorate, Bansal office sources said lack of garbage management system in Barguna town is the major cause of pollution in Khakdhan River.
Some influential people grabbed nearly one thousand acres of land on the riverbanks during the past few years, sources said.
Sujoy Chakma, executive engineer of Water Development Board, said encroachment of the banks of Khakdhan River has led to alarming decline in its navigability and it hampers smooth movement of vessels to and from other districts.
Around 5,000 engine boats ply the river daily while 20 to 30 oil tankers run through it every month. with sticks and brickbats.
At least 20 BNP activists of both the factions were injured d uring the clashes.
Seriously injured Major (retd) KS Mahmud, Kamrul Hassan Mintu, Anisur Rahman Titon, Shahidur Rahman, Azad and Pradip were admitted to Pabna General Hospital.
KS Mahmud was shifted to Dhaka CMH as his condition turned critical.
At a press conference on the premises of district BNP office in the afternoon, supporters of new committee demanded punishment of the attackers.
"Unruly people led by Pabna municipality Chairman Kamrul Hassan Mintu attacked the party office in a pre-planned way and injured several persons including senior BNP leader KS Mahmud," Habibur Rahan Tola, convener of the new convening committee of district BNP, said at the press conference.
On the other hand, Pabna municipality Chairman Kamrul Hassan Mintu said, “We faced the attack when we brought out a protest procession.’’
Following yesterday's clash in Pabna town, the BNP central committee expelled Kamrul Hassan Mintu from the party, sources said.
Additional police have been deployed in front of the party office as a tense situation is prevailing in Pabna town.