An activist of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party was killed and scores injured as the opposition’s countrywide road march came under attack allegedly by the ruling Awami League activists and the police in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country.
The death was reported from Lakshmipur district where over 50 people were injured in attacks allegedly by the police and the AL.
Besides, over 100 was injured in AL-BNP clashes in Khagrachhari, 20 injured in police attack in Pirojpur and the road march in Dhaka came under attack in Mirpur area.
This is the first programme of the opposition’s one-point movement with the goal to ‘remove Awami League from power’ and hold the upcoming national election under a ‘neutral’ government.
On July 12, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir formally announced the ‘one-point’ movement.
A 22-year-old youth, Md Sajib, was killed and over 50 injured as the BNP road march in the district town came under attack by the police and the activists of the AL in front of Diabetic Hospital in the district town on Lakshmipur-Ramgati Road at about 5:30pm.
The district BNP joint-convener Hasibur Rahman said that police and AL activists attacked and opened fire on their peaceful road march.
Lakshmipur superintendent of police Mahabuzzaman Ashraf claimed that the BNP brought out a procession in a bid to commit destructive activities for which they had to open fire to bring the situation under control.
He claimed that 10 cops were injured in BNP activists’ attack.
In Khagrachhari, over 100 people were injured as activists of the AL and the BNP locked in clashes in the district town on Tuesday morning.
The clash broke out at Shapla Chattar area in the district town at about 10:30am when local BNP leaders and activists were bringing out their road march as part of the party’s central program, UNB repored.
In Pirojpur, at least 20 people were injured as leaders and activists of BNP clashed with police during the party’s march in Pirojpur town.
Pirojpur Sadar Police Station OC Abir Mohammad Hasan said seven policemen were injured during the clash.
The incident took place on the road in front of the local fire service and civil defense office at about 12:00 noon.
District BNP convener Alamgir Hossain claimed that 10-15 activists of BNP and its affiliates were injured after police charged batons.
In Dhaka, the road march organised by the BNP came under attack allegedly by the activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student organisation of the ruling Awami League, in front of Government Bangla College at Mirpur in Dhaka at around noon.
The road march began from Gabtali and a group of people began to hurl brick bats on the road march from inside the college at about 12:00 noon, witnesses said.
They said that a group of BNP activists then vandalised the college gate and set fire to a motorcycle.
The road march, however, advanced forward.
The witnesses said that the last part of the road march again came under attack and brick bats were thrown from inside the college.
Meanwhile, police arrived on the spot and brought the situation under control.
The opposition’s one-point demand includes the resignation of the current Awami League government, dissolution of the existing parliament, formation of a polls-time ‘impartial’ government and reconstitution of the Election Commission for arranging a free, fair and inclusive election, the release of all ‘political prisoners’, including BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, withdrawal of all ‘false’ cases, including those against Tarique Rahman, and annulment of all ‘false convictions.’
