Over a dozen people were injured and several vehicles were vandalised as activists of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party came under attack from the ruling Awami League activists in Chattogram and Noakhali on their way to the party’s Cumilla-Chattogram road march programme on Thursday.
In the Chandanaish area of Chattogram, a group of Awami League supporters allegedly carried out an attack on BNP supporters and vandalised their vehicles as the BNP people gathered there to join the road march.
BNP alleged that at least 30 of their activists were injured in the attack carried out by AL people with sharp weapons.
Chandanaish police station officer-in-charge Obaidul Islam told New Age that a handful of activists from both camps were slightly injured and some vehicles were vandalised during the clash, which occurred at about 4:30pm.
He said that the BNP supporters from Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban districts mostly gathered at the place for the road march.
He said that the police had controlled the situation immediately.
In Noakhali, AL supporters allegedly attacked a convoy of BNP supporters, who were going to join the road-march programme, at Basurhat of Companiganj upazila and vandalised their vehicles.
The incident took place at about 11:30am in the Bara Rajapur area, near the ancestral home of AL general secretary and road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader.
At least 15 leaders and activists of the Kabirhat upazila BNP and the party’s affiliated bodies were injured in the attack, reported New Age correspondent in Noakhali.
BNP leaders claimed that supporters of the ruling party vandalised five buses, 15 CNG-run auto-rickshaws, and a pickup van during the attack.
Law enforcers from Companiganj police station visited the place but failed to arrest any culprits.
Kabirhat upazila BNP’s former acting president and district BNP member Nazmul Huda told reporters that the AL activists attacked vehicles carrying BNP men.
The attack was carried out immediately after the vehicles passed Obaidul Quader’s house, he said.
Critically injured upazila Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal leader Md Shuvo, 25, has been admitted to the
Kabirhat Upazila Health Complex, and others have returned home after receiving primary treatment.
Upazila AL secretary Mizanur Rahman Badal told reporters that he did not know about the incident.
Companiganj police station officer-in-charge Pranab Chowdhury said that someone hurled stones at vehicles carrying BNP supporters.
Police went to the spot immediately but couldn’t identify those who threw stones, he said, adding that police found pieces of broken glass on the road.
Addressing the closing rally of the road march at Naval Avenue road in Chattogram, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced an eight-day fresh programme to oust the AL from power.
He said that rallies and processions would be held across the country on October 9 demanding BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s release, a student convention would be held in Dhaka on October 12, a hunger strike programme would be held across the country demanding BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s release on October 14, a youth convention would be held in Dhaka on October 16, and the next programmes would be announced at a rally on October 18.
This programme would be held in a simultaneous manner with other partners in the ongoing anti-government movement, he said.
He said that the next programmes would be held after Durga Puja.
‘Pray to Allah, so that this could be our last programme,’ he said, adding that all the next programmes would be held in Dhaka.
Urging the government to resign immediately, Fakhrul said that the BNP wanted to see it happen this month.
Earlier, inaugurating the road march in Cumilla, Fakhrul said that prime minister Sheikh Hasina returned home empty-handed from the United States.
‘Sheikh Hasina came back from America empty-handed. She put in much effort to cancel the visa policy and get rid of sanctions. They [the US] didn’t pay heed to it,’ he said.
Fakhrul also said that the people of Bangladesh also do not listen to the PM.
In this situation, he urged the prime minister to step down, handing over power to a non-party, neutral government, to pave the way for holding the next national election in a credible manner.
The BNP leader alleged that the government was trying to hold another lopsided election by force to cling to power, adding that people would resist it.
‘We want to exercise our right to franchise this time. You will no longer be allowed to steal votes,’ he said.
Addressing the programme, he warned that people would ensure the fall of the current regime through the ongoing street movement if it did not willingly quit power.
He called upon opposition leaders and activists to get ready to occupy the streets with peaceful programmes.
He alleged that the government was not allowing critically ill BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia to go abroad for advanced treatment out of political vengeance.
The Cumilla to Chattogram road march started from Kalakchua Khandkar Food Gallery ground in Burichang upazila of Cumilla at about 10:30am.
BNP leaders addressed several rallies in Feni, Mirsharai, and Sitakunda of Chattogram during the road-march programme.
Several thousand BNP leaders and activists joined the road march in motorcycles, pickup vans, and other light vehicles, ignoring the rain.
BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, vice-chairman Abdullah Al Noman, Barkat Ullah Bulu, and Md Shahjahan spoke, among others, at the party rallies.
