Parts of JP HQ set on fire
The central office of Jatiya Party in the capital's Kakrail came under arson attack last night. Party offices in several other districts were also vandalised.
Speaking to The Daily Star, JP Joint Secretary General Khandaker Delowar Jalali, said the Kakrail incident occurred shortly after party leaders and activists had concluded a scheduled programme and left the office premises.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. "A group of 20 to 30 individuals defied police barricades and launched the arson attack on the party headquarters.
"Police responded with truncheons, water cannons, and sound grenades to disperse the attackers and bring the fire under control."
"The fire damaged books from the ground-floor library, important documents, and furniture."
Delowar claimed the attack was carried out by men from Gono Odhikar Parishad.
"They labelled the Jatiya Party as a collaborator of the deposed Awami League and demanded that the government ban the party."
Masud Alam, deputy commissioner, Ramna Division, DMP, told The Daily Star that agitators threw brickbats at the JP office last night. "Police, however, dispersed them and controlled the situation."
Earlier in the day, another group attempted multiple attacks on the Uttara residence of JP Chairman GM Quader.
They also staged a demonstration and burned an effigy of Quader in front of his house in Uttara's Sector 7.
As there was tight security there since morning, the police successfully resisted the attackers and secured the area.
On Friday night, leaders and activists of Jatiya Party and Gono Odhikar clashed in front of the former's central office in the capital's Kakrail.
At least six people, including Gono Odhikar Chairman Nurul Haque Nur and General Secretary Rashed Khan, were hospitalised as members of police and army charged truncheons on them to control the situation.
Following the incident, attacks started taking place at JP offices in various districts, including Tangail, Thakurgaon, Khulna and Rajshahi.
Party sources claimed the attackers were from Gono Odhikar Parishad.
In Tangail, the JP office near Sadar Police Station was vandalised around 11:30am yesterday. The attackers later blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway at Nagar Jalfai for about half an hour, leaving vehicles stranded on both sides.
Locals said after holding a brief rally, protesting the attack on Gono Odhikar Chairman Nur, they left the area, allowing traffic to resume.
"Additional police have been deployed in the area," said Tanvir Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Tangail Sadar Police Station.
In Thakurgaon, JP's Haripur upazila unit office was vandalised yesterday afternoon. The agitators also torched office furniture while chanting slogans against JP and its leaders, witnesses said.
Earlier, Gono Odhikar men brought out a procession from the Battali area in the upazila headquarters and paraded different streets.
When the procession reached the JP office, the activists began vandalising it, witnesses also said.
On information, police rushed to the spot, but the attackers had fled before their arrival, said Haripur Police OC Jakaria Mandal.
No one was injured in the incident, the OC said, adding that additional police have been deployed in the area to avoid further untoward incidents.
In Khulna city, at least 20 people were injured after police charged truncheons in front of the JP district and city office at Dakbangla intersection yesterday afternoon.
According to police and witnesses, a procession of 50 to 60 men from Gono Odhikar marched towards the JP office from Shibari intersection.
Witnesses said the demonstrators tried to break the gates and hurled bricks. At that time, police intervened, charging truncheons and dispersing the protesters.
Sadar Police OC Haoladar Sanwar Hossain said, "Activists of Gono Odhikar tried to create disorder in front of the JP office. Police dispersed them immediately. The situation is now under control."
In Rajshahi city, JP office in the Gonokpara area was vandalised around 12:00am.
JP THANKS ARMY, COPS
JP Secretary General Shameem Haider Patwari yesterday thanked the army and police for saving the lives of the party's workers and leaders.
Speaking at a press conference at the party's central office, Shameem, however, demanded that the government carry out a fair investigation into whether the army and police used excessive force on Gono Odhikar men to tackle the Friday's situation.
[Our correspondents from respective districts contributed to this report.]
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