The Bangabandhu National Stadium was massively damages after a fight between the law enforcement agencies and the activists of Hefajat-e-Islam on Sunday evening.
It was alleged that a good number of Hefajat members entered the big bowl by smashing the north gate and shattered many structures along with the press box, dressing room and VIP gallery.
The incident started at around 5:00pm when more than 500 Hefajat activists entered the stadium by breaking the north gate, No 17 entry gate of the arena, and started smashing whatever came their way.
They broke all the glasses of the press box and more than 40 chairs. The zealots then attacked the store room of the Bangladesh Athletics Federation and damaged 50 chairs under the torch gallery.
The players’ dug-out was also attacked by the activists along with the doors of the VVIP room, dressing room, the athletics timing room. The countdown clock of football also received vast damages.
The fanatics also burned the athletics turf and electric cables of the big bowl’s lighting and sound system.
The National Sports Council tower was also smashed up by the activists where they vandalised the private car of Bangladesh Football Federation’s technical director Bayzeed Zubair Nipu and a motor cycle.
They also shattered the glass of the guard room, car parking area in the basement, main gate of the NSC tower, the security room at Paltan Maidan and they also pulled out the ornamental ceramic bricks on the outside wall of the big bowl.
The disaster happened in front of Mohammed Yahia, administrator of the BNS, who was also slightly wounded when the activists vandalised the stadium.
`More than 500 activists entered the stadium and started destroying everything that came their way. They then tried to enter the VVIP gallery but they failed due to our resistance. Massive damages were done and we are assessing the extent of the damages,’ said Yahia.
The state minister for youth and sports, Ahad Ali Sarkar, inspected the broken structures along with Noor Mohammad, secretary to the ministry of youth and sports.
`It was very disappointing that a group of people tried to create panic by attacking a national sport structure like the Bangabandhu National Stadium. We are trying to identify the accused and we will take legal action against them. We will also try to repair the damages as soon as possible,’ said the state minister.
`They attacked the press box where the pressmen were doing their job. The activists were angry on the pressmen because they write the true news and so they damaged the press box badly.’ he added.
-with New Age input
