Road March: BNP activists, police clash in capital

At least 100 BNP activists and 10 police personnel were injured as they clashed during a road march programme of the party in the capital's Science Lab area yesterday.

Witnesses said BNP leaders and activists began a pre-scheduled road march programme in Dhanmondi area. When they reached City College area, police obstructed them around 3:45pm. They were locked into altercations and then a clash broke out, the witnesses said.

A chase and counter chase took place between them, they added.

At one stage, BNP men vandalised several vehicles and torched a BRTC bus in front of Popular Diagnostic Centre, said police.

Talking to The Daily Star, Ashraf Hossain, deputy commissioner (Ramna division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said BNP activists hurled brick chunks at police.

He said eight-10 police personnel were injured in the incident, adding that police charged truncheons and fired teargas shells to disperse the BNP men.

Police also detained 38 BNP men in this connection, said DC Ashraf.

In a statement, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said without any provocation, police attacked the road march programme, injuring over 100 party leaders and activists.

In Gabtoli area, the programme created a huge tailbacks, halting traffic movement for over two hours from Aminbazar to Technical area, said commuters.

The BNP had earlier announced yesterday's road march programmes in Dhaka and nine other cities to press home its 10-point demand, including resignation of the government and holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.

Police also foiled BNP's road march programme in Rajshahi's Malopara area, said party leaders.

They locked the city BNP office at Malopara, said Ershad Ali Esha, convener of Rajshahi city unit BNP.

However, the BNP leaders claimed that they held the programmes briefly in Boalia, Motihar, Rajpara, Shah Makhdum, Kasiadanga and Chandrima in the city.

Shafiqul Haque Milon, relief and rehabilitation affairs assistant secretary of BNP's national executive committee, claimed that at least 80 BNP leaders and activists were detained in 24 hours till 8:00am yesterday.

Contacted, Rofiqul Alam, an additional deputy commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, dismissed the allegation of locking the BNP office.

He said the BNP sought permission for holding the programme, but police did not permit it.

Meanwhile, two groups of BNP men clashed over taking position at the road march programme in Narayanganj city, injuring 20 activists.

[Our Rajshahi correspondent contributed to this report.]