At least one person was killed in Bangladesh Friday after police fired teargas and rubber bullets at thousands of protesters who torched homes of residents belonging to the Ahmadis, officials said.

The clashes occurred when 10,000 to 20,000 worshippers tried to attack Ahmadi homes and shops following weekly prayers in the northern town of Panchargarh, 350 kilometres (220 miles) north of Dhaka.

Tensions have been mounting after the Ahmadis announced a three-day gathering just outside the town, set to start Friday.

Officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets to try to gain control, a police inspector told AFP.

A 25-year-old protester was killed after being struck by a rubber bullet in the forehead, Panchagarh councillor Mazedur Rahman Chowdhury told AFP.

"He died on the way to a hospital," he said. Police confirmed the death.

Another 25 to 30 protesters and police were injured, according to the police inspector.

Ahmadi spokesman Ahmad Tabshir Choudhury said one member of his community was also killed in the clashes, but police did not confirm the death.