200 BNP men sued after Barishal rally

More than 200 BNP men were sued in two cases filed over the violence in Barishal on Saturday.

Of the cases, one was filed under the Explosive Substance Act by a local Jubo League leader with Gournadi Model Police Station on Saturday night.

BNP's International Affairs Secretary Ishraque Hossain was made the prime accused in the case, said Afzal Hossain, officer-in-charge of the police station.

Besides, 70 other named BNP men and some 50 to 60 unnamed persons were made accused in the case, he said.

Rasel Rari, president of Gournadi's Mahilara union unit Jubo League, the youth front of the ruling Awami League, filed the case.

At least seven BNP men were arrested in connection with this case till last evening, said the OC.

According to the case statement, a motorcade of some 70 to 75 cars led by Ishraque Hossain reached Mahilara Bazar on Saturday morning, hours before the BNP's Barishal divisional rally began.

The BNP men then got down from the cars and attacked a local AL office. They vandalised the office and its furniture and tore off photos of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Furthermore, the attackers vandalised seven motorcycles and tried to set those on fire.

A Jubo League leader and two Chhatra League leaders were severely injured in the attack, read the case statement.

However, Ishraque on Saturday told journalists that his motorcade came under attack by the AL men in Mahilara around 7:00am.

Locals and witnesses told The Daily Star that BNP's motorcade first came under attack by the AL men. The BNP men then resisted the attack and chased AL men away.

They then vandalised a local workers' union office and a few motorbikes.

In a separate incident, another case was filed with Bhola Model Police Station by  local AL activist Shafiqul Islam on November 3.

BNP's Bhola Sadar upazila unit convener Asif Altaf was made the prime accused.

Besides, 34 named BNP activists men and over 100 unnamed were made accused, said Shahin Fokir, officer-in-charge of the police station.

According to the case statement, some 400 BNP men attacked AL men at Bheduria launch terminal on Wednesday night, just two days before the BNP's rally took place.

Local AL leaders claimed that around a dozen of their party men were injured in the attack.

However, BNP's Bhola district unit president Golam Nabi Alamgir alleged, "The AL men attacked our party men when they reached the launch terminal to catch a vessel for travelling to Barishal to join the rally."

Meanwhile, the BNP leaders yesterday claimed that at least 500 leaders and activists of the party came under multiple attacks in the last few days before and after the rally.

These attacks were carried out by the AL men in Barishal, Bhola, Patuakhali and Jhalakathi, they alleged.

BNP Vice-chairman AZM Zahid Hossain, also coordinator of the BNP's Barishal rally organising team, came up with the statement while addressing a press conference at a restaurant in Barishal city.

Some BNP activists who own shops are barred to open their business institutions in Nolcity Bazar in Jhalakathi, he alleged.

Several central and local leaders were present at the press conference.

The BNP has been holding rallies in the divisional cities protesting the price hike of essentials and fuel, recent killings of five party men in police firings, and also demanding the release of its Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Rallies have so far been held in Chattogram, Mymensingh, Khulna, Rangpur and Barishal.

The rest of the rallies are scheduled for November 12, 19, 26, December 3 and 10 in Faridpur, Sylhet, Cumilla, Rajshahi and Dhaka respectively.