2 dead, scores injured as control of Ijtema grounds sparks violent clash

Clashes erupted repeatedly between supporters of Maulana Zubair and Maulana Saad over the control of Tongi's Bishwa Ijtema grounds early on Wednesday, leaving two worshipers dead and many others injured.

The deceased were Bachchu Mia, 70, hailing from Pakundia upazila of Kishoreganj, and Belal Hossain, 60, from Dakshinkhan in Dhaka.

Several injured received treatment at Tongi Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital and Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Habibullah Raihan, media coordinator of the Tabligh Jamaat’s Zubair group, said the home ministry wrote to Maulana Zubair Ahmad on Tuesday saying the home affairs adviser would meet his faction at noon the next day and make a decision regarding the Bishwa Ijtema grounds. 

“At about 3am, we received news that Muslims for the Saad faction from across the country were gathering at Masjid-E-Bilal on the west side of Tongi Ijtema grounds. 

“They were armed with sharp weapons and entering the grounds from various directions, including the western bank of the Turag River and the Kamarpara Bridge. When Zubair supporters inside the grounds threw bricks, a chase and counter-chase ensued, leading to a clash when Saad supporters entered the grounds.” 

The conflict had resulted in two people’s deaths and over a hundred injuries, Habibullah added.

On the other hand, Muaz Bin Noor, a senior leader in the Maulana Saad faction, claimed in a video message that his group was now in control of the Ijtema grounds. 

He said one of them had been martyred in an attack by Maulana Zubair supporters, adding that several from that group had been detained with sharp weapons. 

Hafizul Islam, a senior brother at Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital,  said one person had died at the Tongi hospital and another on the way to Dhaka. 

Tongi West police station Officer-in-Charge Habib Iskander said members of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies, including the Rapid Action Battalion, had been deployed in and around the Ijtema grounds. 

“So far we have confirmed the deaths of two people.”