Anniversary of Jan 5 Polls: AL celebrates, BNP's programme obstructed

The ruling Awami League celebrated “democracy victory day” across the country yesterday with much fanfare, while the BNP faced difficulties in holding programmes to mark the day as “democracy killing day”.    

The two major parties -- in totally contrasting ways -- observed January 5 when the AL won a landslide victory in a “one-sided” national polls in 2014. The AL assumed office for a second consecutive term through the election boycotted by the BNP and some other political parties.

BNP leaders and activists alleged that they faced obstruction in different districts when they tried to bring out black-flag processions as part of the party's nationwide programme.

There have been reports of sporadic violence in several districts, including Barisal, Tangail, Naogaon, Narayanganj, Sylhet and Rajshahi.

Talking to journalists at the BNP's Nayapaltan office yesterday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said police and the AL men foiled his party's countrywide black-flag processions.

“Today [yesterday] some supporters of Projonmo League tore banners at our party office in the presence of police. They [the AL] want to push the BNP towards the path of conflict,” he said.

The AL held two rallies at two points in the capital -- one at the party central office on Bangabandhu Avenue and the other in front of the Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi-32.

At the programme on Bangabandhu Avenue, AL leaders bitterly criticised BNP for boycotting the January 5 election.

They alleged that the BNP-Jamaat alliance carried out mass killings in the name of waging movement to destroy democracy and sovereignty of the country.

The party leaders said they would face the BNP politically if it again wants to launch any movement.

They alleged that the BNP-Jamaat alliance is hatching conspiracies to stop the ongoing development activities.

At the Dhanmondi rally, top AL leaders asked BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to do politics within a “democratic framework”.

They questioned what she had achieved by boycotting the January 5 polls.

Popularity of both the AL and the BNP would be tested through the next national polls in 2019, they said.

Earlier, AL leaders had said people wouldn't allow the BNP to take to the streets yesterday.

The ruling party announced holding rallies in the capital and bringing out processions in district headquarters.

On the other hand, the BNP announced that it would bring out processions in all district headquarters, except for Dhaka, carrying black flags and wearing black badges.

On the first anniversary of the January 5 polls in 2015, the BNP and its allies had enforced almost a ceaseless blockade and hartals for three months. Street violence left at least 95 people killed and around 1,000 injured, mostly in targeted arson attacks on public transport.

On the second anniversary last year, the BNP had held a rally in the capital, but did not enforce any hartal. The AL and the BNP held rallies in the capital on two different dates.

In Barisal city, at least 15 BNP men and four journalists were injured in an attack allegedly by Bangladesh Chhatra League activists.

BNP city unit General Secretary Mojibor Rahman Sarwar said the BNP-led 18-party alliance organised a gathering in front of the party office.

“When we began the programme at our office, a group of Awami League and Chhatra League men attacked us. They threw bottles and brickbats in the presence of police, leaving at least 15 of our activists injured,” he said.

However, Abdur Razzak, general secretary of district unit BCL, denied their involvement in the incident. 

Awlad Hossain, officer-in-charge of Barisal Model Police Station, said some people were trying to attack the BNP office but police dispersed them.

In Tangail, police foiled a BNP programme, charging baton on activists of the party and its associate bodies in front of its office on Victoria Road in the town.

Police detained two BNP activists from the spot, reports our Tangail correspondent.

In Naogaon, at least 15 people were injured as BNP men clashed with police over bringing out a procession.

BNP leaders said they brought out a black-flag procession from the party office around 1:00pm. When they reached near Muktirmor in the town, law enforcers intercepted them, and charged baton.

Police, however, said that at one stage, the BNP men became violent and attacked law enforcers.

Mozammel Haque, superintendent of police in Joypurhat, said five policemen were injured in the incident.

Police picked up 12 BNP activists from the spot.

In Khulna city, BNP leaders and activists brought out a procession, but police allegedly barred them from marching forward.

Shafiqul islam, OC of Khulna Sadar Police Station, said the BNP men were stopped as they didn't take permission for bringing out a procession.

In Pabna, the district unit BNP brought out a black-flag procession from the party office.

As the BNP men tried to march through the main street, police obstructed them, said Johurul Islam, office secretary of the district BNP.

In Rajshahi, the AL held a rally at Laxmipur intersection of the city but the BNP men failed to get police   permission to hold a street programme.

BNP men held a rally at the Central Saheed Minar in Sylhet city. But when they tried to bring out a black-flag procession, police barred them from doing so.

In Narayanganj, city unit Jubo Dal Convener Maksudul Alam Khandakar Khorshed, who took oath as ward councillor in the morning, was arrested along with three others while trying to bring out a procession in the city.

Sharfuddin Ahmed, additional superintendent of police, said police dispersed the Jubo Dal men as they were trying to create chaos.

Several persons were arrested over the incident, he added.