Chittagong: At least three people were killed and nearly 40 others, including seven policemen, injured in a tripartite fierce clash among police and two rival groups at Gondamara village under Banshkhali upazila in Chittagong on Monday, reports BSS.

The deceased are Mortuza, 55, Anowarul Islam, 50 and Mohammad Zakir, 54. Of the injured, at least 20 people including officer-in-charge (OC) of Banshkhali police station Swapon Mazumdar were admitted to local health complex while the critically injured including a Sub-Inspector (SI) were rushed to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

Police and eye-witnesses said the clash erupted at Gondamara Hazipara School field at about 4:00pm while two groups of locals tried to hold separate rallies at the same venue defying Section 144 in protest against and in favour of setting up of the proposed coal-based power plant in coastal Gondamara area.

‘The activists of two groups defying Section 144 conversed, were locked in fierce clash, exchanged fires and subsequently attacked the police, forcing the law enforcers to open fire in order to disperse the unruly mobs,’ said Swapon Mazumdar, OC of the police station.

The OC confirmed the death of two persons but an on-duty staff of Banshkhali Health Complex preferring unanimity told BSS that they received another bullet-riddled body brought to the hospital at about 7:45pm.

The locals claimed that they saw four to five bullet-riddled and blood stained bodies lying at the spot. Additional police forces rushed to the place of occurrence and brought the situation under control.

Country's leading industrial company S Alam in a joint-venture with Sepco Company of China is going to set up the 1320 Megawatt Coal-based Power Plant in costal Banshkhali Upazila at the edge of the Bay of Bengal.

Sources said locals were dived into two groups, one in favour of the power plant and the other opposing it, and both the groups announced to hold separate rallies at Gondamara Hazipara School field today. In order to avoid untoward incident local administration imposed Section 144 on the rally venue but defying the ban one group tried to hold the rally but the other tried to resist it that resulted in a fierce clash between the two groups.