At least 15 people were injured in a clash between two rival factions of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Friday over control of a garment factory’s jhut (fabric waste) business and alleged extortion of worker transport buses in Gazipur.

Several buses were vandalised during the clash, which created panic in the area and forced shop owners near the factory to shut their businesses.

The incident took place at about 9:30am on Friday in front of Arbella Fashion Ltd at Gararan village under Bormi union at Sripur upazila. A video of the clash later spread on social media.

The injured were Ruhul Amin Mondal, 50, Mobarak Hossain Babu, 34, Alauddin, 34, Mahabub Alam, 32, Sifat, 30, Delwar Hossain Molla, 30, Shipu Mia, 29, Junayed Molla, 28, Masum Ahmed, 35, Nahid Islam, 34, Babu Mia, 30, and Niloy Ahmed, 17, among others.

Locals said that the injured were leaders and activists of the BNP and its associate body Krishak Dal. Five critically injured people were admitted to Sripur Upazila Complex.

Witnesses said that about 20 to 25 youths were standing and talking in the middle of the road in front of the factory. At one point, an argument broke out, which later turned into a clash involving sticks and rods, leaving several people from both sides injured.

Masum Ahmed, a ward-level leader of Bormi union Krishak Dal, alleged that he had long been providing transport services for workers of Arbella Fashion Ltd.

He claimed that Bormi union BNP member secretary Aktaruzzaman Shamim Molla, Alamgir, Monir Hossain, Junayed, and their associates demanded Tk 50,000 from him every month.

Masum alleged discussions over the matter were taking place in front of the factory gate at Gararan village on the Sripur-Bormi road when Junayed Molla, younger brother of Shamim Molla, along with 20 to 25 associates, suddenly attacked him and his men with sticks.

He alleged that five people from his side were injured in the attack and three worker-carrying buses were vandalised.

Denying the allegations, Bormi union BNP member secretary Aktaruzzaman Shamim claimed that the accusations of extortion and bus vandalism were false.

He claimed that they were discussing arrangements to welcome the prime minister at Mawna crossing on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway as he was scheduled to attend a Kazi Nazrul Islam birth anniversary programme at Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University at Trishal today.

According to him, after the discussion ended, Masum Ahmed and his associates attacked them while they were passing in front of the factory, leaving several of his supporters injured.

Sripur police station officer-in-charge Shahinur Alam said that the police and industrial police rushed to the spot after receiving information and brought the situation under control.

He said that no one was found at the scene when police arrived, although several people had been injured and the windows of a few buses were damaged.

The police official added that a complaint had already been filed by one of the groups.