One killed, 166 injured as BNP-police clashes in districts

A man was killed and 166 others, including journalists and policemen, were injured as BNP and police clashed in Narayanganj and other parts of the country on Thursday.

Besides, rallies and processions of BNP came under attacks in eight districts including Manikganj, Sirajganj and Netrakona. 

In Narayanganj, a clash broke out when the law enforcers tried to prevent local BNP leaders and activists from holding a rally near Railgate No 2 in Sadar upazila, marking the party's 44th founding anniversary.

At the time, police fired tear shells and rubber bullets in response to the brickbats hurled at them by the activists, leaving a man killed and 76 others, including policemen, injured.

Shaon, 24, hailed from Narayanganj Sadar, was shot to death during the clash and eight bullet-wounded BNP men were undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Blaming the police for the clash, Narayanganj Metropolitan BNP Senior Vice President Sakhawat Hossain said that the police fired hundreds of rounds of bullets at BNP men without provocation. It is very shameful.

He demanded the punishment of the people involved in the incident.

Regarding the death of Jubo Dal activist Shaon, District Superintendent of Police Golam Mostafa Russell told the media that when police tried to remove the BNP leaders and activists from the road, they pelted bricks at the police like rain.  Later, the police fired tear gas shells and shotguns to save themselves.

In a brief address prior to bringing out a coularful rally at Naypaltan, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has vowed to launch a united movement to out the government from the power and take avenge the blood of its slain workers

"To avenge the killing of our brothers --Shaon, Noor and Rahim--, we will defeat the dangerous Awami League government through a united movement together with people. We will have to establish a government of the people by ousting them," he said.

Mirza Fakhrul further said many leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies suffered bullet wounds in different parts of the country, as police attacked the party's founding anniversary programmes.

Slamming the government for killing its leader in Narayanganj, he demanded immediate arrest of the killers and their punishment.

Meanwhile, at least 30 people including journalists and Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge Abdur Rouf Sarkar were injured during a violent clash that ensued between BNP men and police in Manikganj.

In order to bring the situation under control, police fired tear gas shells and charged batons to chase the demonstrators away. Later, five BNP activists were arrested over the incident.

BNP has claimed that police detained five of its leaders and activists following the clash. 

In Sirajganj, at least 25 people including policemen were injured during a violent clash that ensued between BNP men and police in Nabadwip Pool area in the municipal town.

Two bullet-wounded Chhatra Dal activists were sent to Dhaka for better treatment.

In Netrokona, a similar clash has been reported in front of the district BNP office in the district town, where 35 people, including Additional Superintendent of Police (Admin) Md Fakhruzzaman Juwel and 14 other cops, were injured.

Netrokona BNP joint convener SM Moniruzzaman Dudu said, "We were carrying out our programme peacefully when police came and started charging us with batons without any reason. Later rubber bullets and tear shells were also fired."

During the attack, at least 20 activists were injured, including district Jubo Dal Joint Convener Sujan Chowdhury, Municipal Chhatra Dal Vice-President Bappi, he also said.

BNP leaders claimed that as of 1 September, four leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies were killed in ongoing protest of the opposition party since 31 July against fuel price hike, spiralling commodity prices.

According to media reports, during this period, 52 programmes of BNP were attacked, houses of BNP leaders and activists were attacked in 18 places and section 144 were imposed in eight upazilas for simultaneous programmes by BNP and ruling Awami League at the same venue. 

BNP claimed that from 2 August to till date, 500 BNP men were arrested and 50 cases were filed where around 10,000 its leaders and activists were accused.

To join the party's founding anniversary rally, hundreds of BNP men gathered in Nayapaltan area, blocking both sides of the road stretching from Bijoynagar crossing to Fokirerpool, halting traffic in and around the areas that caused immense sufferings to the commuters.