Supporters of two Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders seeking nomination for Dhaka-18 by-polls locked in a violent clash in front of its chairperson’s Gulshan office in the capital on Saturday, leaving dozens of activists badly injured.

BNP parliamentary nomination board asked the aspirants for interview. Nine aspirants bought nomination forms against the parliamentary seats.

Both the candidates are seeking nomination to contest the polls with the Sheaf of Paddy, the electoral symbol of the BNP.

The parliamentary seat fell vacant at the death of ruling Awami League lawmaker Sahara Khatun.

At one stage, they attacked their counter part and started chasing each other, leaving a dozens of supporters injured badly.

Being informed, police reached the spot and brought the situation under control.

BNP activists said that during the clash, BNP acting chairperson Tarique Rahman was talking to 29 nomination seekers of four vacant MP seats at the office through a video conferencing from London.

Eyewitness said the supporters of the candidates were waiting outside. At one stage, the supporters of the two MP aspirants attacked one another with sticks and other materials.

In the meantime, eight BNP-nominated councillor candidates of eight wards under DNCC lodged written complaints with BNP Senior Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi not to give nomination to Jahangir for his controversial role during DNCC polls.

BNP sources said that 29 aspirants are now in the final race to get the party’s ticket to contest the upcoming by-polls to four parliamentary seats in Dhaka, Naogaon and Sirajganj.

As per the schedule announced by the Election Commission, the by-polls to Dhaka-5 and Naogaon-6 will be held on October 17 next.

The EC, however, still did not announce the schedule for Dhaka-18 and Sirajganj-1 by-polls.

Dhaka-5, Dhaka-18, Naogaon-6 and Sirajganj-1 constituencies fell vacant following the death of Awami League MPs Habibur Rahman Molla, Sahara Khatun, Israfil Alam and Mohammad Nasim respectively.