Chittagong: Four people were injured in a clash between two groups tied to the ruling Awami League during a human chain programme, arranged on Monday against ruling party lawmaker MA Latif over allegation of distorting the portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Sadarghat area of the port city.

Chittagong Metropolitan Police additional deputy commissioner Mizanur Rahman Khan said a group of people under the banner of ‘Jagrata Chhatra Jubo Janata’ formed a human chain in Sadarghat area in the afternoon against Latif over tampering with Bangabandhu's picture on billboards and festoons set up in Patenga and Bandar areas.

At one stage, a scuffle broke out among them over leading the programme, triggering a chaos that left four people injured.

They were-Rashed, 23, Sohel, 23, Rishikesh Biswas and Subhroto Palito. Rashed was apparently hit with a sharp weapon and admitted to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

All the victims were activists of local unit Chhatra League, he said.

Sujon Barman, joint secretary of city unit Chhatra League, said the scuffle took place at about 1:30pm.

Police rushed in and brought the situation under control.

On Thursday, a Tk-1,000 crore defamation case was filed against Latif on charge of tampering with Bangabandhu's picture on billboards and festoons.

Allegations have it that Latif distorted Bangabandhu's image by superimposing the image of the Father of the Nation on his own body-size portrait on billboards and festoons hung in Patenga and Bandar areas on the occasion of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent visit to the port city.

As the photo went viral on social media, ruling party men burst into protests demanding his punishment.