59 BNP men sued over clash with police in Khulna

A case has been filed in connection with the BNP-police clash during the party's yesterday's sit-in programme in front of the party's KD Gosh Road office in Khulna city.

Sub-inspector Ajit Kumar Das filed the case today with Khulna Sadar Police Station against 59 BNP leaders and activists, including its central information affairs secretary Azizul Bari Helal, Khulna District Unit President Amir Ejaz Khan and General Secretary Monirul Hasan Bappi.

Another 700 to 800 people have been made unnamed accused in the case.

According to the case statement, BNP leaders and activists, armed with locally-made weapons, blocked the movement of the common people and vandalised shops with anti-government slogans yesterday afternoon.

When the police intervened, they threw bricks and stones at the law enforcers and obstructed the police from discharging their duty, it added.

According to the statement, the BNP men also displayed weapons and attacked the policemen injuring 10 of them.

Seven BNP leaders and activists were arrested from the spot.

Shafiqul Alam Mona, convener of Khulna metropolitan BNP, told The Daily Star, "Whenever any programme comes, the police are desperate to foil it. Leaders and activists were arrested and harassed before the programme. Now, with this case, they will be harassed again."

"Everyone has seen how the police fired tear gas and rubber bullets during the programme and injured our leaders and activists," he added.

Tajul Islam, deputy commissioner (south) of Khulna Metropolitan Police, told The Daily Star that police fired 35 shotgun rounds and 20 rounds of tear shells to control the situation.

"Police were forced to take action as some BNP men suddenly started throwing bricks at our personnel," he added.