Banglabandha UP chairman’s house torched

A group of unruly individuals set fire to the house of Banglabandha Union Parishad Chairman Kudrat-e-Khuda Milon during a clash between his supporters and rivals in Panchagarh’s Tentulia upazila this afternoon.
Sujoy Kumar Roy, officer-in-charge of Tentulia Police Station, said around 100 to 150 supporters of the chairman gathered near Sepaipara Bazar, next to the union parishad office, in the morning as the chairman was expected to attend his office.
Supporters of a rival group, including local BNP activists, also began gathering at the bazaar. At one stage, the two groups clashed.
Police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control, said the OC.
Witnesses said around 4:00pm, the rival group torched the chairman’s house and set fire to his car while leaving the area.
The OC further said additional police forces were deployed in the area and an investigation into the incident is underway.
After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, a group of people have been demanding the chairman’s resignation, citing allegations of land grabbing and other corrupt activities.
Milon has been elected chairman for three consecutive terms and is the former organising secretary of the Tentulia upazila unit of the Awami League.
When contacted, local BNP leader Rashed Ali said, “Hired goons of Chairman Milon vandalised shops belonging to BNP supporters and the party office in the bazaar. They then set fire to his house to falsely implicate us.”
Chairman Milon denied the accusations of attacking BNP supporters, stating that an unruly group looted valuables from his house before setting it ablaze.