AL men attack BNP rally: 10 hurt

BNP demonstration for utility services came under attack at Rajabazar in the city yesterday by ruling party activists that left at least 10 people wounded.
Demonstration, as part of a two-day programme launched by the main opposition party, was held at seven points in the city demanding electricity, water and gas supply.
Spot accounts of the incident at Rajabazar said BNP activists of ward No 39 and 40 assembled at Boubazar of Rajabazar and the ruling party activists attacked them around 3:30pm.
The attackers coming through different lanes chased the demonstrators with brickbats, sticks and rods.
Tariqul Islam Bahalul, Giasuddin Milon, Shahidul Islam, Mofazzel Mia, Shahjahan Raj, Golam Sarwar, Sirajul Islam, Swapan and Bachhu were injured in the attack and later rushed to the Al Rajee Hospital at Farmgate.
BNP Vice President of ward No 40 Mizanur Rahman told UNB that assistant secretary of ward AK Azad was injured in the attack and was later taken away by attackers. His whereabouts was not known till 4:30pm.
BNP Standing Committee Member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossian was scheduled to join the demonstration at Rajabazar but he could not reach the venue.
Stick wielding police dispersed the demonstrators and took away the microphone.
Officer in charge of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar thana Riaz Hossain told UNB that a group of people of Rajabazar informed them that there is no crisis of electricity, gas and water in their area and hence they do not want any demonstration.
They demanded to stop the demonstration or they will do it themselves. A Police contingent was rushed to the spot to avert the clash, the officer added.
Asked about taking away the microphone he said the organisers of demonstration did not take prior permission for holding rally there.
Activists of the ruling Awami League and its front organisations BCL and Jubo League brought out processions and paraded different lanes in Rajabazar area chanting slogans against BNP.
Some leaders and workers of BNP rushed to the Al Rajee Hospital from where a procession was brought out to protest the attack on peaceful demonstration. The procession paraded through the areas chanting anti-government slogans.
Meanwhile, the opposition BNP yesterday asked the government to immediately resolve the crises including of water, electricity and gas, otherwise it will wage oust-government movement and demand midterm election.
Addressing a pre-procession gathering in Lalbag Balurmath area of the city this afternoon, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the government has totally failed to resolve the crises in all sectors that the people are facing across the country. The people have come down onto the streets to protest the government's failure, he added.
The demonstrations were also held in the other parts of the city and led by BNP leaders Mirza Abbas at Kamalapur railway station, Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah at Demra Sarulia Bazar, Sadeq Hossain Khoka at Badda Hossain Market, Zainul Abdin Farroque at Sutrapur and Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal near Mohammadpur BRTC bus stand.