25 injured as AL men attack BNP programmes at places

25 injured as AL men attack BNP programmes at places

At least 25 people were injured in attacks on Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s programmes marking the anniversary of death of Ziaur Rahman by activists of ruling Awami League and its associate bodies at different places in the country on Saturday.

New Age: Twenty activists of BNP and its associate bodies were injured when activists of Awami Juba League and Bangladesh Chhatra League attacked and foiled the party’s programmes at Daulatkhan and Lalmohan in Bhola and Banaripara in Barisal.

Reports from Banaripara said Juba League and Chhatra League activists vandalised a microbus carrying BNP leader Sarfuddin Ahmed Santu at Dak Bungalow crossing at 11:30am as he was going to attend the party’s programme in front of the upazila agriculture office. The attackers pounced on BNP activists and beat them up leaving at least seven injured.

Protesting against the attack, the BNP activists blocked the Barisal-Banaripara-Swarupkati road at Guthia. Traffic resumed after more than two hours after police intervened.

Farukul Islam, officer-in-charge of Banaripara police station, said a general diary was lodged by Sarfuddin Santu in connection with the attacks.

In Daulatkhan of Bhola, Awami League activists, led allegedly by Miraj, Mannan and Amzad, attacked the BNP’s programme at Daulatkhan Uttar Bazaar at about 11:30am.

The attackers also blocked Bhola-Daulatkhan road by burning tyres and took away the food cooked to feed the destitute.

At least 10 BNP activists sustained injured in the attack and the programme was foiled, said Nazimuddin Howladar, Daulatkhan upazila BNP president and Char Pata union council chairman.

At Lamohan of Bhola, Awami League activists attacked BNP’s programme near Lalmohon police station at about 11:00am and drove away the participants from the venue. Three activists were injured in the attack, said Aminul Islam Khan, Bhola district BNP president.

Officers-in-charge of Daulatkhan and Lalmohan police stations admitted there were incidents of violence but nobody lodged any complaints.

New Age correspondent in Natore reports: unidentified miscreants fired two rounds of gunshot during a discussion organised by Natore district unit of BNP marking Ziaur Rahman’s 28th anniversary of death.

Two gunmen, covering their faces by handkerchiefs, appeared at the place on a motorbike and fired shots targeting the stage of the Zila Parisad auditorium as soon as the discussion began.

Former deputy minister M Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu and former BNP lawmakers and district BNP leaders were sitting on the stage during the incident. The gunmen sped away as the BNP activists chased them.

Officer-in-charge of Natore police station, however, told New Age that he was not informed about the incident.

Reports from Gaizpur said the Awami League activists ransacked the stage of a discussion and prayer session organised by Kaliganj upazila BNP at Sombazar at around midday. The party’s student affairs secretary Fazlul Huq Milan was scheduled to attend the programme in the afternoon.

New Age correspondent in Magura said Juba League and Chhatra League activists attacked and foiled a discussion meeting of BNP at its office at Chaurangi crossing at around 11:45am. They took away the PA system and signboard of the party office.

Immediately after the attack, convener of district unit Chhatra Dal Sahabuddin Sohag came under attack from Chhatra League activists near the stadium. He was admitted to sadar hospital.

Later local Chhatra League and Juba League brought out a procession in the town and attacked Manjuri Hostel at College Para run by Islami Chhatra Shibir and vandalised furniture. Three Shibir activists were injured in the attack.