Clash with Police: 1,600 BNP men sued
Police have filed a case against some 1,600 BNP leaders and activists over Tuesday's clash between the party men and law enforcers in the capital's Nayapaltan.
Of the accused, 97 were named in the case, including 50 arrestees, said Salahuddin Mia, officer-in-charge of Paltan Police Station.
Sub-Inspector Asaduzzaman Masum of the police station filed the case yesterday.
Among the accused are top leaders of Jubo Dal, Chhatra Dal, Swechhasebak Dal, and BNP Dhaka city and thana units. They include Jubo Dal President Saiful Islam Nirob, General Secretary Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, Chhatra Dal President Fazlur Rahman Khokon and General Secretary Iqbal Hosen Shyamol.
The case was lodged on charges of assaulting police, obstructing cops from carrying out duties and holding a rally illegally, said the OC.
At least a dozen people were injured in the clash in front of the BNP's Nayapaltan headquarters on Tuesday following a rally protesting communal violence in the country.
The BNP and the police blamed each other for the clash.
Meanwhile, the BNP yesterday alleged that the government was implicating its leaders and activists in cases filed over recent communal violence with a view to clear the field ahead of the next parliamentary election.
Speaking at a press conference at the party headquarters, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir claimed that at least 60 cases have so far been filed against 15,096 people over the recent communal violence and police have arrested 146 BNP men.
"After any incident, the government always files cases against BNP leaders and activists with a view to repress and eliminate its opponents. In the same way, BNP leaders and activists are now being framed in cases filed over the attacks on Puja mandaps."
Fakhrul said the main purpose of the government is to harass BNP leaders and activists and keep them away from the coming polls. "We think Awami League has been doing this all the time to survive in politics."
The BNP leader said the media, however, have exposed that ruling party men were involved in those incidents. "They [AL] are dividing the nation and destroying communal harmony only to achieve their political objectives."
Fakhrul said none of his party leaders and activists, including Barkatullah Bulu, was involved in communal violence.
He alleged that a false case was filed against Bulu over the communal violence in Noakhali by taking the deposition of a Jubo Dal activist under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure forcefully through torture.
"We think it is an attempt to harass BNP leaders and activists, including Barkatullah Bulu and Kamakhya Chandra Das."
Fakhrul demanded immediate withdrawal of all cases filed against BNP men and fair and impartial investigations into those incidents.
He claimed that the government is now filing cases against BNP men as it wants to dispose those of as soon as possible.
"The home ministry has already enlisted the cases that need to be settled quickly so that our leaders cannot not join elections," the BNP secretary general said.
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