15 hurt in AL-BNP clash in Hazaribagh
At least 15 people including a journalist were injured in a clash between BNP and Awami League activists at the capital's Hazaribagh area before a BNP rally yesterday.
After the incident, the Dhanmondi zone of BNP's Dhaka south city unit held the rally peacefully at a field near ZH Sikder Women's Medical College Hospital.
The rally was held to protest price hikes of fuel, daily essentials, and the recent killing of four BNP leaders in Bhola, Narayanganj, and Munshiganj "in police firing".
As part of the party's announced plan to hold 16 rallies in the capital, yesterday's rally was supposed to be held at Shankar Bus Stand in Dhanmondi.
BNP leaders claimed that they moved the venue to Hazaribagh as police imposed restrictions on holding political programmes in Shankar after the ruling Awami League announced a rally there.
Contacted, Abdus Salam, BNP south city unit convener, said Awami League men attacked their party men to foil the rally but failed to do so due to the strong resistance from BNP activists.
He claimed that at least 15 activists of their party were injured in the clash and that police arrested around 15 BNP men.
A journalist of DeshTv was also injured during the clash.
Hazaribagh Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Humayun Kabir denied Salam's claim of arrests, saying there was barely any fighting, so there was no question of arrests.
Witnesses said the clash began around 3:00pm when Awami League supporters tried to obstruct BNP activists going in processions to the rally.
Both groups engaged in chases and counter-chases and beat up their opponents with sticks until police brought the situation under control, according to witnesses.
Later, the ruling party men took up position at the Tally Office intersection behind a police barricade, they said.
The law enforcers also put up a barricade around the BNP rally venue to prevent further clashes.
The rally ended peacefully with the presence of a large number of law enforcers.
Ehsanul Ferdous, additional deputy police commissioner of Dhanmondi zone, said, "BNP leaders and activists were marching towards the rally venue with sticks. I heard that when the procession came to the Tally Office Road in Hazaribagh, there was a clash with Awami League leaders and activists. Two people may have been injured in the incident. But the situation is normal now," Ehsanul said.
Addressing the rally, party's standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said they held the rally braving many obstacles as the ruling party men secretly attacked BNP activists from different lanes and alleys on their way to the programme.
He thanked law enforcers for cooperating with the BNP to hold the rally.
Recalling that many members of the police sacrificed their lives for democracy during the Liberation War, Tuku called upon the law enforcers to stand beside people who are carrying out a struggle for democracy.
He said his party activists were being forced to take up sticks in their hands for self-protection since the ruling party men were attacking them.
Speaking there, BNP south city unit convener Abdus Salam slammed the ruling party for attacking their leaders and activists without provocation.
Tuku said the ruling party always tried to make a political gain by involving BNP with Jamaat, but it is time now to censure Awami League for involving Jamaat.