Jatiyo Party office in Kakrail vandalised, set on fire again
Police said Gono Odhikar Parishad activists were behind the arson, but the party denied such allegations.
The Jatiyo Party's central office in Dhaka's Kakrail was again vandalised and set on fire, allegedly by Gono Odhikar Parishad activists, this evening (5 September).
The incident occurred around 7pm.
To bring the situation under control, police used water cannons and sound grenades to disperse the crowd, while additional forces were deployed in front of the office, our correspondent reported from the spot.
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Speaking to The Business Standard, Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner Md Masud Alam, said, "Police lobbed three sound grenades and used water cannons to disperse the Gono Odhikar Parishad activists."
"The fire has been doused, and the situation is now under control," he added.
The attack came immediately after Gono Odhikar Parishad held a solidarity rally in Shahbagh this afternoon, protesting last week's attack on its President Nurul Haque Nur and other activists.
However, denying the involvement, Gono Odhikar Parishad General Secretary Md Rashed Khan told TBS, "We do not know who carried out the attack on the Jatiyo Party office, because Gono Odhikar Parishad is not involved in the attack or arson there."
"Our pre-announced programme was a solidarity rally at Shahbagh. We concluded it there in the presence of leaders of various parties," he added.
Rashed further said, "The Jatiyo Party is an ally of the Awami League and complicit in genocide. If the government arrested Jatiyo Party Chairman GM Quader and banned the party, such incidents might not have happened.
"So, enraged people may have attacked and set fire to the party's office to vent their anger. Besides, the Jatiyo Party has internal feuds, which could also be behind the incident."
The rally centred around a three-point demand: first, the immediate punishment of all those responsible for the attack. Second, the banning of the Awami League's allies — namely the Jatiyo Party and the 14‑Party Alliance — along with cancellation of their registrations and bringing them to justice. Third, the resignation of the home affairs adviser.
Leaders and supporters from various political parties, including BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and other allied groups, participated in the rally, UNB reported.
Nur was injured on 29 August as law enforcers charged batons after a clash broke out between activists of his party and Jatiyo Party in the capital's Kakrail.
Earlier on 30 August, protesters vandalised and torched Jatiyo party's Kakrail office, prompting police to use sound grenades, water cannons, and batons to disperse the crowd.
That day, members of the police and alleged supporters of Nurul Haque Nur locked into a clash at the Bijoy Nagar area.
BNP condemns the attack
The BNP has expressed deep concern and strongly condemned the attack and arson at the Jatiyo Party's central office.
In a statement, signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi today, the party said such incidents of arson and attack would only "create confusion and frustration among the public about the hopes of building a democratic state and society after the July Uprising".
"While differences of opinion may exist, attempting to suppress freedom of expression through force reflects an authoritarian mindset and goes against the spirit of democracy and the ideals of July," read the statement.
BNP further emphasised that in a genuine democracy, the existence of multiple political parties is indispensable, and whether a party can continue its organisational activities or even survive depends solely on the will of the people.
"Intimidation, violence, or threats to stop the activities of a political party are incompatible with the principles of multi-party democracy," the statement added.
