BANGLADESH

A member of parliament who led a mob into Rangpur Medical College Hospital demanding appointment of the locals was injured in the counterattack by hospital employees.

Around 50 people, including policemen, workers and journalists received injuries during the conflict.

Later the injured Rangpur-1 MP Mokbul Shahriar Asif, also the nephew of Jatiya Party chairperson Hussein Muhammad Ershad, was admitted to the same hospital for treatment.

Witnesses said around 7-800 people came in trucks to attack the medical college.

"Angry locals besieged the hospital because it had ensured no quota in recruitment for my election area Gangachharha," Asif told before the chaos began.

The recruitment in 186 third and fourth-class positions of RMCH is underway. Around 4,500 applicants took part in the written examination on Dec 30.

Authorities say Awami League, Bangladesh Chhatra League and Jatiya Party have been demanding quota for their favourites from the very beginning.

At one stage of the clash some of the MP's supporters rushed to the director's room. They started vandalising various establishments inside the hospital when they failed to get the director. The employees of RMC resisted and a large scale clash ensued.

Police arrived and used batons and tear cells to disperse the conflict. "Police fired 20 rounds of tear gas canisters to control the situation," Kotwali Police Station officer-in-charge Altaf Hossain told reporters.

Six journalists including Desh TV Rangpur correspondent Abu Aslam received injuries. According to locals, the total number of injured may exceed 50.

Faced with police onslaught, the rioters dispersed. MP Asif himself rushed to a room in the medical college where he was found with a wound on his head.

He told reporters the attack on him was 'deliberate'. His companions blamed the hospital employees for the injury and Asif threatened a case against them.

The hospital's doctor Saiful Islam said Asif's head required two stitches but he was out of danger.

OC Altaf told reporters in the afternoon the situation had calmed down and additional police had been deployed at the scene. No cases had been filed until afternoon, he said.