BNP programme foiled

Police intercept BNP activists in Jhenidah town when the latter brought out a procession as part of their countrywide demonstration programme yesterday.Photo: STAR

At least 19 leaders and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) were injured as police charged batons on their procession in Jhenidah town yesterday morning.
As part of their countrywide demonstration programme protesting the prime minister's recent statement against party's Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman and his younger brother Arafat Rahman Koko, local BNP leaders and activists took out the procession at around 11:00am.
When the processionists reached near the post office intersection, police charged truncheons, fired rubber bullets and teargas canisters to disperse them.
District BNP General Secretary Abdul Malek, General Secretary of BNP pourasava unit advocate Abdul Mazid, Jubo Dal leader Rawshan Bin Kader, District lawyers' association's Organising Secretary advocate Shamshuzzaman, Chhatra Dal leaders Abul Bashar, Imtiaj, Shafiuddin and Atik are among the injured.
Organising Secretary of BNP Central Committee Moshiur Rahman said police charged batons on a peaceful procession. He claimed that at least 50 BNP men were injured in police action.
Zobaidur Rahman, additional superintendent of police (ASP) law enforcers urged the BNP activists to observe their programme in front of their party office as some VIPs from Dhaka were scheduled to go to Mujibnagar via Jhenidah yesterday.
Police went into action as the BNP men were holding their progrmme in the town, disrupting vehicular movement, the ASP added.
Officer-in-charge Iqbal Bahar Sadar of Sadar Police Station said they had to fire teargas cells to disperse the demonstrators.
Riot police have been deployed at different important points in the town to avert any further incident.