BNP announces hartal in Kishoreganj on Wednesday protesting death of 2 activists
The BNP has announced a hartal in Kishoreganj protesting against the death of two activists during a clash with police in the district's Kuliarchar area on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, two platoons of the Border Guard bangladesh (BGB) were deployed to maintain security and oversee the law and order situation.
Kamrul Islam Musa, senior joint convener of Juba Dal's Kuliachar unit said a hartal will be observed from 6:00am to 2:00pm on Wednesday to protest the death of two people.
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Earlier today, the police, however, only confirmed the death of one person.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kuliachar police station, Golam Mastufa, said a group of picketers gathered at Chhaysuti bus stand area of Kuliarchar upazila around 8:30am on Tuesday (31 October).
When the police tried to remove the blockaders from the road, they attacked the police first.
"One person died in this incident, but it is not sure if he was shot by police or not," said the OC.
Kuliarchar Upazila BNP president Nurul Millat said the party leaders and activists were marching peacefully in the Chhaysuti bus stand area in support of the blockade.
At this time, the police arrived to disperse the crowd and at point they opened fire.
Two people named Billal Hossain and Rifat Ullah were killed in this incident and at least 50 people were injured.
Billal Hossain was the president of Chhayshuti Union Krishal Dal and Rifat Ullah was the president of Chhatra Dal.
Kishoreganj Bajitpur Medical College Hospital information officer Md Rokonuzzaman three people with bullet injuries were brought to the hospital from Kuliachar.
Rifat died before being brought to the hospital. Police have taken his body for post-mortem. The other two left the hospital without treatment.
In a statement today, Senior Joint Secretary General of BNP Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said, "A Chhatra Dal and a Krishak Dal leader were shot dead by the police this morning during the BNP's blockade. This brutal killing is cowardly. To sustain the illegitimate Awami government, it has played the role of executioner by flouting all laws.
The bodies of the two victims have not been returned to their families by the police, despite various claims."
The Senior Joint Secretary General of BNP called for the immediate handover of the bodies of the deceased to their families and strongly condemned and protested the killing and wished for the recovery of the injured and the souls of the deceased.
