AL activists ‘swoop on’ BNP’s sit-in
At least 25 BNP men were injured in an attack allegedly by ruling Awami League activists in Pabna town yesterday.
The BNP was scheduled to hold sit-ins in front of all district power offices yesterday, protesting "load shedding and corruption in the power sector".
Pabna BNP organised the programme in Boro Bridge area near the local office of Bangladesh Power Development Board.
"At the end of our programme, a group of Awami League men suddenly attacked us," said Masud Khandakar, member secretary of Pabna BNP.
"They beat us with sticks and hurled brick chunks at us. Some 25 to 30 leaders and activists of our party, including Pabna district unit BNP convener Habibur Rahman Habib, were injured," he claimed.
Of them, condition of Md Yeamin, convener of Pabna Swechchhasebak Dal, is critical. He was taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, Masud added.
Later, BNP leaders held a press conference at Pabna Press Club and alleged that AL men attacked their peaceful programme.
Locals and witnesses said Pabna Zila Parishad member Nazrul Islam Sohel, also a local AL leader, led the attack.
Contacted, Sohel denied the allegation and said BNP activists attacked them when they were holding a "peace procession" in the town.
Rezaur Rahim Lal, Pabna AL president, told The Daily Star that he knew nothing about the incident as he was in Dhaka yesterday.
Kripa Shindhu Bala, officer-in-charge of Pabna Sadar Police Station, said he was not aware of the incident and nobody filed any complaint.
In Bogura, BNP's similar programme was foiled by police.
Locals and witnesses said several thousand BNP activists were marching towards the Northern Electricity Supply Company office in Khokon Park area of the town around 12:00pm.
But police intercepted them when the procession reached near the office, leading to an altercation between police and BNP activists.
The BNP men then blocked Satmatha-Jaleshwaritala road and demonstrated.
Later, police allowed some senior BNP leaders to enter the NESCO office and submit their memorandum demanding uninterrupted electricity supply.
"We are holding a peaceful programme for the sake of public interest. But police obstructed us," said Ali Azgar Talukdar Hena, general secretary of Bogura BNP.
Sarafat Islam, additional superintendent of Bogura police, said power office is an important government establishment and no one has the rights to lay siege to it.
In Gazipur and Manikganj, the BNP held sit-ins and submitted memorandums to the officials concerned.
[Our Pabna, Bogura, Gazipur and Manikganj correspondents contributed to this report.]
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