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However, supporters of the BNP and Jamaat candidates got into an altercation over front-row seats, triggering the clash.

Of the injured, 45 were taken to the Jhenaigati Upazila Health Complex, where 25 were admitted and 20 received primary treatment, said doctor Arup Saha.

Another 20 injured were admitted to Sherpur General Hospital, confirmed medical assistant Md Yasin Hossain.

Several motorcycles and more than 100 chairs were vandalised during the clash, witnesses said.

In a Facebook post, Nuruzzaman alleged that BNP supporters, after arriving late, attacked Jamaat supporters with “local weapons” following an argument and scuffle over front-row seats. He claimed more than 50 Jamaat supporters were injured.

BNP candidate Mahmudul Haque Rubel made counter-allegations, blaming Jamaat activists for the violence.

In a Facebook post, he claimed Jamaat carried out the attack to create chaos, leaving around 50 BNP leaders and activists injured.

Sherpur Superintendent of Police Md Kamrul Islam said security personnel brought the situation under control and that additional law enforcers have been deployed to prevent further violence.

No case had been filed in connection with the incident as of filing of this report at 1:40am today.

Meanwhile, BNP suspended its 41-member Sherpur district convening committee following the clash.

In a press release issued in the evening, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the committee, led by Convener Sirajul Islam and Member Secretary ABM Mamunur Rashid Palash, had been suspended until further notice.

Protesting the death of Rezaul, students of Dhaka University and Jagannath University brought out separate processions on their campuses in the wee hours of today.

At Dhaka University, a group of students marched campus streets. Several Ducsu leaders, including Vice-President Md Abu Shadik Kayem, took part.

At Jagannath University, around 100 students brought out a procession from the main gate around 12:45am today and marched campus streets chanting slogans against the BNP.

Meanwhile, in Bhola, Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) alleged that three of its activists were injured in an attack by Jamaat supporters in Charfesson Municipality yesterday.

IAB’s Bhola-4 candidate Kamal Uddin’s daughter, Maria Kamal, made the allegation at a press conference at the Charfesson Upazila Press Club, saying she and her followers were attacked while campaigning in Ward-6 of the municipality around 9:30am.

In a statement, Jamaat’s upazila unit denied the allegation, calling it “false and motivated”.

Contacted, Jamaat upazila unit Ameer Mir Sharif Hossain said there was a scuffle between the two groups and claimed a Jamaat activist was injured.

No complaint has yet been filed in this connection, said Charfesson UNO Md Lokman Hossain.

[Our Mymensingh and Barishal correspondents contributed to this report]