Police, BNP clash in Dholaikhal, Matuail, Uttara and Gabtoli

Several BNP leaders and activists have been injured in clashes with police in the capital's Dholaikhal, Matuail, Uttara and Gabtoli areas today as the party is observing a sit-in programme at the key entry points of the capital.

Some BNP men have also been detained in those areas, report our correspondents and media outlets.

Party activists and police chased and counter chased each other. Law enforcers fired teargas shells to break up protests and bring the situation under control.

In Dholaikhal and Matuail, clashes broke out around 11:30am after heated arguments between police and BNP activists. The clashes continued for around 45 minutes, which left several BNP men injured.

A few more party activists were wounded in another clash in Gabtoli.

A large number of police personnel were deployed at different parts of the capital as Dhaka Metropolitan Police last night said it won't allow the BNP to hold sit-ins.

Visiting Uttara, Gabtoli and Dholaikhal, The Daily Star found that police and Ansar members were not allowing people to gather.

Some BNP men tried to assemble in Gabtoli but police obstructed them.

Speaking at a huge grand rally at the city's Nayapaltan yesterday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced sit-ins at all important entry points of the capital for today to press home the party's one-point demand.

The BNP had scheduled to observe sit-ins from 11:00am to 4:00pm.

As per the party's plan, Dhaka north city BNP is supposed stage sit-ins in front of Uttara BNS Centre and Gabtoli's SA Khalek Bus Station while Dhaka south city BNP before the Nayabazar party office and in front of Dania College in Jatrabari.

Later, AL and its youth wing Jubo League announced that they would hold "peace rallies" in Abdullahpur, Tongi, Gabtoli, Aminbazar, Babubazar, Signboard, Kanchpur, Jatrabari and some other entry points of the city from 10:00am to 5:00pm.

Amid growing fear of violence, the DMP said it would not allow either of the parties to hold such programmes as there was intelligence that those may cause deterioration in law and order and public suffering.

Following the DMP's statement, the ruling party backed down on its decision to hold "peace rallies", but said its leaders and activists would stay alert on the streets.