As Tabligh factions One killed, 200 injured
One man was killed and more than 150 people were injured in a clash between two factions of Tabligh-Jamaat today over establishing supremacy on Ijtema ground on the bank of the river Turag.
The deceased was identified as Ismail Mondal (70) of Meliapara village in Munshiganj district, Officer-in-charge of Tongi East Police Station Kamal Hossian confirmed it.
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Over 200 people have been taken to Tongi’s Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital for treatment since the clashes began around noon, said resident doctor Md Parvez Hossain. Twenty victims were transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The first phase of Bishaw Ijtema is due to begin in January but has been delayed in the last month over the leadership conflicts between the two factions of Tabligh. The Election Commission has issued an order banning any kind of congregation at Tongi Ijtema field prior to the Dec 30 election, following a petition by the Deoband group.
Despite the ban, the followers of Delhi Markaz's leader Moulana Mohammed Saad Kandhalvi had announced a five day long Jor Ijtema and the followers of Deoband leader Moulana Zubayer took up positions around the Tongi field and the nearby areas. As the followers of Saad could not enter the Ijtema area on Friday, they took up positions in the nearby mosques.
The situation intensified when hundreds of Saad followers began to march towards Tongi on Saturday morning.
The situation escalated out of control when those who came to participate in the Jor Ijtema broke into the ijtema site around 11:00 am, said Tongi West Police Station chief Md Kamal Hossain. Both groups became embroiled in a clash with bamboo sticks. Members of both groups were injured as they pelted brickbats at each other.
At one point the Saad followers drove away the their opponents and occupied the field. Later, police took control of the scene. The mayor of Gazipur and police superintendent held a meeting with the leaders of both factions and asked them to leave the site within half an hour.
