According to locals, Rezaul Islam, a supporter of the Brazilian football team, had an argument with Jiban Mia, a supporter of the Argentine football team, at around 8.30 am on Tuesday after the semi-final match between Brazil and Peru in the Copa America. At one stage, when clashes broke out between them, the locals stopped them as they did then. At around 5 pm that day, Nawab Mia, uncle of Rezaul, a Brazilian supporter, went to cut grass for cattle on the land in the Damchail market area. Due to the incident in the morning, 4-5 youths including Argentine supporter Jiban Mia and his associates Abdur Rahman and Selim Mia found him alone and beat him.
Clashes broke out between supporters of Brazil and Argentina at Damchail Bazar in Sadekpur Union of Brahmanbaria’s Sadar Upazila on Tuesday. The uncle of a Brazilian supporter and three Argentine supporters were injured.
As a result, Arman Mia, Ali Hossain, and Ishaq Mia, Brazilian supporters of the Nawab’s son, found and beat Zakir, Selim, Syedabur, and Lal Mia, supporters of the Argentine football team in Damchail Bazaar at around 9.30 pm. When the news spread on Facebook, tension was created between the supporters of the two parties. So to keep the situation under control, the Brahmanbaria district police has taken extra security for the final game.
According to district police sources, Superintendent of Police Muhammad Anisur Rahman has been conducting bit policing activities in different areas of nine Upazilas including the municipal area of Brahmanbaria district town for several months. Bit policing activities are going on in every ward and every union of the municipal area. The district currently has 116 bits of bit police. Each bit has a Sub-Inspector (SI), Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), and two constables.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Administration) Mollah Mohammad Shaheen told Prothom Alo that since the clashes over the football game, police members have been trying to control the situation by holding discussions with local dignitaries and people’s representatives in their respective bit areas. Besides, there will be 15-bit police teams and 10 special police patrol teams in different areas of Brahmanbaria Municipality and Sadar Upazila from dawn on the day of the final match of the Argentina-Brazil football team. A total of 40 special police patrol teams will be deployed in the entire district. Each patrol team will have 4-5 policemen.
