A man was killed and nine others were injured in a clash over the construction of a coal-based power plant of S Alam Group at Gondamara village of Banshkhali upazila in Chittagong yesterday.
“One man succumbed after being taken to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH). He was injured in a clash erupted between two groups of people over the construction of the coal-based power plant,” said Rezaul Masud, additional superintend of police (Special Branch) in Chittagong.
The two groups came to sit in a meeting with the officials of the Bangladesh Navy over the power plant, he said.
The deceased was identified as Md Ali, 35, of Borghona village of Banshkhali upazila.
Jahir Uddin Bhuiyan, in-charge of the CMCH police outpost, said, “Two siblings were admitted to the CMCH with severe wounds. The doctors declared one of the them dead while his brother Md Zamal was undergoing treatment at Ward No. 28 in a critical condition.”
S Alam Group is constructing the coal-based 1,224MW power plant. A group of people, led by former union parishad chairman Liaquat Ali, have been opposing the plant saying it would have adverse effect on the environment.
Another group, led by local Juba League leader Nur Mostafa, has been opposing the Liaquat group and thus the two groups had been in loggerheads.   Yesterday’s clash erupted when the Liaquat group came to join a meeting convened by navy officials over the plant. S Alam Group officials and the land owner were present at the meeting.
Bangladesh Navy is currently supervising the security on the site in collaboration with police. The Navy was brought in after four villagers were killed and over 50 people, including the law enforcers, were injured in a clash with the local people protesting the power plant on April 4 last year.
Contacted, Liaquat Ali told The Independent that Bangladesh Navy called them to sit with them.
“Responding to their call, about 30,000 of the villagers went to the meeting in front of the power plant office around 2pm. suddenly, a group of criminals led by Abu, Aziz and Rubel carried out an attack on us with brickbats. Several of our people were injured in the incident,” he added.