Demo over price hike: 20 hurt as BNP, AL men clash

At least 20 people were injured as leaders and activists of the BNP and ruling Awami League locked into clashes across the capital's Mirpur over a pre-scheduled rally of the opposition party yesterday.

Police dispersed the two sides by firing teargas shells, while both parties claimed several of their activists were injured in the clashes.

Parvej Islam, officer-in-charge of Pallabi Police Station, confirmed that 20 people, including 10 police personnel, were injured in the clashes.

The BNP had a rally scheduled to start around 1:30pm on Mukul Fouz Field in Mirpur 6.

But before the rally could start, AL leaders and activists, wielding sticks, took out a procession around the venue. They then tried to chase away the opposition men, who retaliated with throwing brick chips, said witnesses.

The ruling party men also vandalised the stage, motorcycles and nearby shops.

BNP alleged that on duty policemen were did nothing at the time.

The clash later spread to Mirpur 2, 10, and 11.

Enraged by the sudden attack, the BNP leaders and activists gathered at the Mirpur 6 Indoor Stadium around 2:30pm and took out a procession, during which they vandalised vehicles on the main road.

As panic spread across Mirpur, traffic movement was halted and shops were shuttered down.  Caught up in the clashes, pedestrians scrambled for shelter.

Iqbal Hossain, former joint general secretary of Dhaka North BNP, alleged AL men, who had taken position at the venue from before, attacked the BNP activists with weapons.

On September 10, the opposition party announced it would hold rallies at 16 places in Dhaka yesterday to protest the hike in prices of essentials and fuel, and the death of its activists during the recent protests in Bhola and Narayanganj.

Aminul Haque, member secretary of Dhaka North BNP, said Mirpur's deputy commissioner had allowed them to hold one of their scheduled rallies on the Mukul Fouz field.

He said BNP activists were resisting the attack until police started throwing teargas shells targeting them.

Dismissing BNP allegations that police helped AL activists, OC Parvej claimed the clashes began due to provocation by BNP activists.

Anwar Hossain Raja, executive member of Dhaka North Swechchhasebak League, however, claimed they came to know that BNP were giving "provocative speeches at a rally on the field near Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard".

"As we brought out a procession protesting the speeches, they started throwing brick chips at us. They attacked first."

Contacted, Ariful Islam, additional deputy commissioner (Pallabi Zone), said many people, including activists from both parties and police officials, "We had to fire teargas shells to bring the situation under control."

He added that additional police force was deployed at different points.

Visiting the spot around 3:30pm, this correspondent found that BNP men left the area but BCL and Jubo League activists on around 100 bikes were roaming nearby streets.

Asked, one of them said they were on the streets to prevent BNP men from carrying out any "acts of sabotage in the name of protests".