Faridpur, July 23 (V7N) — Intense clashes broke out repeatedly between two factions of transport workers in Faridpur, turning the municipal bus stand area into a battleground and injuring at least ten people. As a result, bus services across all routes were suspended for nearly four hours.
 
The conflict began on Tuesday morning when a group of workers organized a human chain protest at 11 a.m., demanding the annulment of the recent election of the Faridpur Motor Workers Union. Moments after the protest started, around fifty men led by the newly elected president, Yasin Molla, launched an attack with sticks and homemade weapons, forcibly taking down protest banners. The protesting workers chanted slogans labeling the attackers as allies of the ruling Awami League.
 
Following the violence, other transport workers, angered by the attack, halted all bus operations from Faridpur across every route around noon and gathered at the bus terminal armed with sticks. By 2 p.m., clashes escalated with chasing and stone-throwing incidents between the two groups. At least ten workers sustained injuries and were treated at Faridpur Medical College Hospital. The bus suspension caused significant inconvenience for ordinary passengers until services resumed around 4 p.m.
 
The root cause of the unrest lies in a long-standing dispute between two factions within the union. One faction is led by the current president, Yasin Molla, who was elected unopposed, while the opposing faction is controlled by former vice-president Ismail Hossain.
 
Interviews with general workers and several former union leaders reveal that the union has approximately 7,200 members. Of these, 1,002 were unilaterally listed as eligible voters for the election scheduled on July 25. The election commission declared all candidates elected uncontested on July 17.
 
Ismail Hossain criticized the election process as secretive and illegitimate, stating, “The election was held without informing the majority of workers, without publishing an electoral roll, and without proper notice. The union was forcibly taken over through this sham election.” He condemned the violent attack on protesters led by Yasin Molla’s faction during the human chain and demanded a fair re-election and accountability for the assault.
 
Conversely, Yasin Molla defended the election’s legitimacy, claiming, “Our election was fair. The current unrest is an attempt to disrupt the process. The so-called allies of the Awami League united to create disturbances, but the ordinary workers resisted them.”
 
Faridpur Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge, (OC) Asaduzzaman confirmed that tensions escalated during the human chain protest, prompting police to intervene and deploy additional forces to restore order.
 
This incident highlights the growing unrest and factionalism within the transport workers' union, posing challenges to local governance and public transportation safety in Faridpur.
 
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