BNP determined to hold 10 Dec rally in Nayapaltan
Despite being refused by the police repeatedly, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday (8 December) reiterated the party's stance to hold its 10 December rally in the capital's Nayapaltan area.
Fakhrul remained adamant about his party's decision while addressing a briefing in Gulshan today against several warnings by the police that BNP will face consequences if they do not comply.
"BNP men and its affiliates gathered in front of the party office in Nayapaltan Wednesday. Around 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the police suddenly cracked down on them despite any provocation," said Fakhrul recounting yesterday's incident.
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"Police barbarically resorted to indiscriminate firing, teargas, stun grenades, cocktails, and baton charges," said Fakhrul adding, "This gruesome and cowardly incident is unimaginable for a free country."
Fakhrul said, "Shechchasebak Dal leader of Pallabi Thana Maqbul Hossain was killed in police firing and numerous others were shot.
"Not only the police," he continued, "but the DB, SWAT members and Awami terrorists were also engaged in the state-led terror."
Fakhrul said, "The Awami League terrorists were in search of Faisal Mahbub Mizu, joint convener of Wari police station Jubo Dal. They could not find him at his residence, so they brutally assaulted his father. The elderly man, Millat Hossain, 67, died on the spot."
The BNP senior leader said, "The bomb found at the party office is nothing but a drama staged by the police.
"The police barged into the BNP office in Nayapaltan earlier today without a search warrant, nor were they accompanied by any of the landlords or committee members of the building," Fakhrul objected.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the bomb-disposal unit of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime of Police gathered in front of the BNP headquarters.
The area surrounding the BNP central office was seen cordoned off with retractable barricade tape, a bright yellow coloured belt that is used to warn or alert passersby of an area or situation containing a possible hazard.
"Vehicles of the Bomb Disposal Unit have been brought here after multiple improvised explosive devices were found, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Joint Commissioner (operations) Biplob Kumar Sarker said confirming the matter to The Business Standard.
"Police are down analysing the crime scene as a part of which CCTV cameras are being installed to further enhance the surveillance in areas adjacent to the BNP party office, he added.
The police official also requested journalists to leave the crime scene area immediately.
On Wednesday noon, BNP activists started to gather at Nayapaltan to make enquiries about the political programme, said BNP leaders, as the venue of the rally was yet to be finalised by the authorities.
A large number of police personnel were deployed on nearby roads.
According to witnesses, the gathering at one point blocked the road as police asked them to leave. As they did not do so, police fired tear shells and blank shots to try and disperse the crowd around 3pm. The BNP men retaliated by throwing bricks at the policemen.
The clash left one BNP man dead and dozens others injured with the detention of several leaders including BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Subsequently, SWAT members were called in and armoured police vehicles rumbled into the area. The heavily armed police backup included riot cars and bomb disposal units.
In the evening, police raided the party headquarters and allegedly charged batons on BNP men who had been trapped inside.
Mirza Fakhrul then appeared at the scene as the law enforcers did not allow him to enter the office.
Fakhrul claimed yesterday that police held nearly 500 BNP leaders and activists in front of the party office.
