At least five people have allegedly been injured in a clash between activists of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, in Chattogram's Banshkhali, report agencies.
The violence sparked over an incident at the field of Darul Islah Madrasah in Baharchara Union. The two sides then clashed in the local Mosharraf Ali Bazar area on Tuesday night.
Saiful Islam, chief of Banshkhali Police Station, said tensions were running high between the two sides in connection with a recruitment drive by Shibir at Darul Islah Madrasa.
Police say the two sides faced off carrying rods and sticks over a power struggle in the area, and began throwing brickbats.
"When the incident was reported, we removed the two sides from the area and brought the situation under control. Things are normal at the moment," Saiful said.
The BNP and Jamaat both blamed the other side for the violence.
Delowar Azim, former president of the Baharchara Union BNP unit and a member of the party's BNP Chattogram South District Convenors Committee, said: "Jamaat-e-Islami gathered their people from different locations and led an unprovoked attack on our activists. Several of them were injured in the attack."
Shibir were holding a recruitment drive at Darul Islah Madrasa in West Ilsha Ward 3 and a BNP activist went to see it, he said. Delowar claims Shibir members then harassed the activist.
He alleges that Jamaat and Shibir then gathered a group and attacked activists of the BNP and its affiliate organisations unprovoked.
The Islami Chhatra Shibir, on the other hand, blames the Chhatra Dal -- the BNP's student wing -- for the incident.
In a statement, Shibir said that a Quran teaching event was being held at the mosque next to Darul Islah Madrasa late on Tuesday afternoon when Chhatra Dal activists came and attacked Shibir activists, barring them from continuing the event. The statement added that several activists were injured in the attack.
