AT least 26 people, including three women, were injured in a clash between BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami activists in Patuakhali’s Baufal upazila on Sunday. Locals and witnesses said a group of Jamaat’s female activists was conducting a campaign at Bhandaria Bazar around 12:30pm in favour of their party candidate of Patuakhali-2 constituency Shafiqul Islam Masud.

At that time, some BNP activists intercepted them, alleging that the female group was distributing money to buy votes. Hearing this, some Jamaat men rushed there, triggering altercation between the groups. At one point, both groups locked into a clash.

Some 26 people, who were injured in the violence, were admitted to the Baufal Upazila Health Complex. Three of them are women, said the Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Abdur Rouf.

One of the injured people was sent to the Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College as his physical condition was critical, he added. Protesting the incident, Jamaat activists brought out protest procession in the upazila headquarters around 3:30pm.

Tarique Rahman warns of attempts to mislead voters using religion ahead of February 12 polls

When the procession reached near the upazila health complex, a chase and counter-chase took place again between BNP and Jamaat activists, said locals and witnesses.

Later, Jamaat activists blocked the Barishal-Baufal road in front of Baufal Police Station and demanded the transfer of its’ officer-in-charge (OC) alleging that the police officer was playing a biased role towards BNP. They kept the road blocked for around two hours.

Contacted, the upazila unit Jamaat Secretary, Md Khalidur Rahman, alleged that BNP men carried out several attacks on Jamaat activists, and the OC is playing a role in favour of BNP. He claimed that 30 of his party men were injured in today’s attack.

However, OC Siddiqur Rahman denied the allegations, saying, “I am carrying out my duties with complete neutrality. The overall law and order situation in the area remains under control.”

Contacted, the upazila unit BNP Convener Taslim Talukder denied the allegation and said, “None of the party men attacked them [Jamaat]. Rather, Jamaat activists attacked our party men and are trying to falsely blame us.” He claimed that 20 BNP activists were injured in the clash.

In the evening, Patuakhali’s Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Arif Muhammad Shakur addressed a gathering of Jamaat activists and assured to conduct impartial investigations into the violence.

‘The use of religion for votes’

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman has urged voters to remain alert and vigilant, saying that a group is attempting to mislead people by using religion and engaging in conspiracies ahead of the polls.

Speaking at an election rally at the National Bangla High School grounds in Dhaka14, Tarique said, “We have already seen their party members getting caught while trying to make fake seals. We have seen their members taking Bkash numbers and national IDs from mothers and sisters to confuse them.”

In a veiled reference to Jamaat, he said that this group had previously participated in national polls, collaborating with “dictatorship”, following the 1990 movement. This group had examples of abandoning people on a number of occasions, he added.

BNP chief called on voters to ensure that no one could “steal” their right to vote. “Today, we are noticing again that they are trying to mislead people by saying various things. No one should be able to trap your vote in a dummy election and lock it in the box. Stay alert so that no one can change the election results through conspiracies,” he said.

In his appeal for support for BNP’s nominated candidate in Dhaka14, Sanjida Islam Tulee, Tarique described her as a warrior against enforced disappearances and torture during the era of tyranny. Tulee is a key coordinator of Maayer Daak (a platform for families of disappearance victims) and sister of a disappeared BNP leader.

“We have seen Tulee, the ‘sheaf of paddy’ candidate, for 16 years, telling the world about these. We have lost many beloved ones in the struggle for democracy. Can we let their sacrifices go in vain? The right to vote must be firmly established,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2026