Shawdesh Desk:

Clashes between two local factions of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party over a gathering in Khulna city on Friday night left at least 15 people injured.

Witnesses and party leaders said BNP had organised the gathering at the Khalishpur Peoples Circle and an altercation began between leaders to factions party factions about who could sit in the front chairs and who could take the stage, triggering clashes around 9:30pm.

Senior leaders, including the coordinator and member secretary of the metropolitan BNP brought the situation under control.

The injured people were admitted to Khulna Medical College Hospital for treatment.

BNP city unit expelled four members involved in the clashes and formed an investigation committee to look into the incident. The expelled members include the joint convener of Ward 11 BNP Md Sarwar Hossain, youth leader Nazmul Hossain Babu, Masud Hossain, and Fakir Shahidul Islam.

Habib Biswas, member secretary of Khalishpur BNP, acknowledged that there was a scuffle over stage access, resulting in several minor injuries.

He said that they visited the injured people at the hospital.

Rafiqul Islam, the officer-in-charge of Khalishpur Police Station, said that he heard about the scuffle, but no one has filed any complaints at the police station yet.

This decision of expelling four leaders was confirmed by the BNP media cell late on Friday night.