Clashes mark second-day of BNP march in Ctg, Dinajpur

Photo: TBS

Incidents of clashes and vandalism marked the second day of the BNP's two-day protest march yesterday, in Chattogram and Dinajpur, as a part of the party's one-point movement to press home its demand for a neutral caretaker government for the next general election. 

Except for that, the party held its protest marches in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country mostly peacefully Wednesday.

In Chattogram, while returning from the march in the afternoon, BNP leaders and activists carried out an attack on the temporary election office of Chattogram-10 by-polls Awami League backed candidate Mohiuddin Bacchu in the city's Wasa Intersection, and vandalised several vehicles used for election campaign around 5:30pm, alleged local AL leaders.

"They [BNP men] threw bricks at the [AL] activists from the flyover while returning by bus and truck. At least five people, including our women workers, were injured in the attack," said Chattogram Metropolitan Chhatra League former general secretary Nurul Azim Rony.

In retaliation, leaders and activists of the Chhatra League and Jubo League allegedly attacked the BNP's Nasimon Bhaban office, and torched banners and festoons before the evening. 

"At that time, the BNP office was extensively vandalised in the presence of the police," Idris Ali, former office secretary of the city unit BNP, told The Business Standard.

Kotwali Police Station OC Zahidul Kabir said that the situation was calmed later. Earlier, around 3:40pm, BNP leaders and activists led by the party's Standing Committee Member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury started the march from the party office at Nur Ahmad Road in the city's Kazir Dewri area. They marched through New Market and Kadamtoli to Dewanhat.  

Shahadat Hossain, organising secretary of Chattogram City BNP, told TBS that party leaders, activists, and supporters from Chattogram, as well as from the northern and southern districts had also joined the march.

In Dinajpur, a clash erupted between the activists of the BNP and the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) at noon.

At least 20 from both sides were injured in the clash with the BCL leaders and activists of Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU) that continued till around 4pm.  

Four buses were also vandalised during the clashes.

"BNP activists carried out an attack on the Chhatra League and conducted vandalism on the campus. We were trying to calm them down," said Mamunur Rashid, proctor of HSTU. 

Kotwali Police Station OC Tanvirul Islam said police and DB members were deployed on the spot to bring the situation under control.

However, the BNP will hold a mourning rally in Dhaka today at 11:00am to protest the killing of a BNP activist during the party's march programme in Lakshmipur on the first day of the two-day protest march on Tuesday.

BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas announced the programme at a brief rally in Uttara before the BNP's march from Abdullahpur towards Jatrabari in the capital yesterday.

BNP claimed the deceased, Md Sajib Hossain, 25, was an activist of its farmers' wing Krishak Dal in Lakshmipur. 

"Inshallah, we will give a befitting reply to the repressions you [AL] carried out on us yesterday [Tuesday] across the country," said Abbas.

"The people have risen against the theft and looting of this government," he added. 

BNP Dhaka Metropolitan South Convener Abdus Salam, Dhaka North Convener Aman Ullah Aman, BNP chairperson's adviser and former opposition chief whip Zainul Abdin, Standing Committee Member Abdul Moin Khan, among others, addressed the rally.