Dozens hurt as BNP men, cops clash in city

BNP men and police clashed in the capital's Chandrima Udyan yesterday, leaving several party leaders and activists as well as law enforcers injured.

The clash took place around 10:30am after members of the newly-formed convening committees of BNP's Dhaka city north and south units went to place wreaths at the grave of party founder Ziaur Rahman.

The BNP and the police blamed each other for the clash during which some vehicles were vandalised on nearby streets.

The BNP said the law enforcers attacked them without any provocation while Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal claimed that police were compelled to use teargas after being attacked by BNP leaders and activists.

Witnesses said some leaders and activists of the party, including Aminul Huq, member secretary of Dhaka north city unit of the BNP, gathered in the park area around 10:30am. Police then prevented them from going inside.

Police officials and Aminul engaged in an argument and at one stage, police charged truncheons on the BNP men and fired teargas canisters at them, witnesses said.

Several policemen were injured as BNP activists threw brick chunks at the law enforcers who charged truncheons and fired teargas canisters to disperse them.

Of the injured, two BNP leaders -- organising secretary of BNP Tejgaon Thana Unit Moniruzzaman Tagor and former president of BNP Kamrangirchar Thana Unit Abul Kalam Azad -- were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

"We have come here to offer prayers near the grave of our party founder. But the police did not allow us to do that. Police fired teargas canisters and rubber bullets on us suddenly," Moniruzzaman said.

Md Alauddin, resident surgeon of DMCH emergency unit, said the two injured appeared to have been shot by shotguns, but they were stable.

BNP leader Amanullah Aman alleged that police stopped BNP leaders and activists when they were going to Chandrima Udyan to observe their scheduled programme peacefully. Police chased them and fired rubber bullets at them, agitating the activists.

"Police attacked us without any provocation. Several persons, including BNP Dhaka city north unit's member secretary Aminul Haque were injured in the attack," he alleged.

Jane Alam Munshi, officer-in-charge of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, said BNP activists attacked police out of the blue and at least seven police personnel were injured.

"We brought the situation under control," he said.

After the incident, party's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir visited the spot and told journalists that the government was disconnected from the people and that was why it wanted to suppress the democratic movement by torturing opposition leaders and activists.

Asked about the police allegations, Fakhrul said, "This is a false allegation. It was a peaceful programme. Why would we attack the police?"

After the clash, Fakhrul along with other senior leaders placed  wreaths at the party founder's grave.

Hours after the incident, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told journalists at the Bangladesh Secretariat that there was a clear Covid restrictions on rallies and gatherings at any place.

"But violating the restrictions, they [BNP leaders and activists] entered there with hundreds of followers... They started throwing bricks at police indiscriminately. That's why police had to fire teargas canisters."

Md Shahidullah, deputy commissioner of Tejgaon Division Police, told The Daily Star yesterday that the BNP had a permission for holding a peaceful programme between 11:00am and 11:30am but without prior notice, they appeared at the spot around 9:00am and started chanting slogans.

"The BNP activists threw brick chunks at us without any provocation, which left around 14 of our members, including myself and our two additional deputy commissioners, hurt," he said.

He further said that they came with long bamboo sticks and they also vandalised metro rail establishments and buses, which seems to be a planned move. "We later took action in self-defence."

He also said that cases were being filed over the incident and that the cases would be for assaulting police and vandalism.