The BNP claims their supporters were attacked while preparing for a procession -- a claim rubbished by Awami League activists, who say the clash was staged by the BNP.
Police said the clash erupted around 11:30am at the city's Sadar Road,
Deputy Police Commissioner Golam Rouf said that BNP activists gathered in front of its party office in an attempt to take out a procession.
Around the same time, activists the AL's student and youth affiliates gathered nearby, he said.
"The clash erupted when a bottle was thrown at the Awami League supporters from the BNP gathering," said senior officer Rouf.
Awami League activists were spotted with sticks during the clash. After a while the police intervened and dispersed the trouble makers, according to Rouf.
The Awami League came to power for a second successive term after the Jan 5, 2014 national elections, which the BNP had boycotted.
Since then the BNP observes it as the 'Death of Democracy Day' and take out black flag processions across the country, as they did on Thursday.
The Awami League, however, describes Jan 5 as the day when 'democracy was restored.'
It has announced its own programmes and its leaders have said that the people will not allow BNP to take to the streets on Thursday.
"Awami League activists attacked us while we were getting ready for a peaceful procession," BNP's Barisal South unit General Secretary Abul Kalam Shahin told bdnews24.com.
He claimed more than 50 of their supporters have been injured.
The Awami League denied the allegations.
"It's all staged by the BNP to make things murky. They have started the clash and blamed it on us," said Abdur Razzak, general secretary of Barisal unit of the AL student front.
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