At least 20 people were injured in a clash between two local factions of the ruling Awami League over appointment of college teachers in Iswarganj upazila yesterday. The appointment of 15 teachers was scheduled to be announced yesterday for three subjects -- Bengali, Accounting and Social Work-- at Iswarganj Degree College. A group of Chhatra League men, led by Iswarganj upazila BCL secretary Hasan Mahmud, entered into the college at around 10.30 am yesterday and brought out a procession against the recruitment tests.
They also asked the college authorities to postpone the activities. The BCL men were loyal to Rafiqul Islam Bulbul, Iswarganj upazila unit AL president (acting) and also member of college governing body. Another group, loyal to Abdus Sattar, brought out a procession favouring the due process of appointments and broke a police barricade at Iswarganj Madhya Bazaar at around 2.15 pm triggering a clash between the two factions, said Borhan Uddin, officer-in-charge of Iswarganj police station.
Police fired four rounds of blank shots to disperse the warring groups, said the OC.
At least 20 persons were injured during the clash.  Of them, four identified as Mamun, Abdul Matin, Riad and Sujon were given first aid at Iswarganj Upazila Health Complex.
Additional police have been deployed at the college and its adjacent areas to avert further untoward incident, police said. Earlier, vice-principal of the college Masudul Haque served a notice suspending the appointment tests scheduled for yesterday.