The BNP-led 18-Party Alliance could not hold its Dhaka March programme on Sunday in the face of unprecedented obstructive measures from law enforcers that crippled life in the capital for the second day and prompted the opposition to extend the programme to Monday. Two persons were killed in the capital during the police action against the opposition activists.
Opposition leader Khaleda Zia was virtually confined by law enforcers as she was not allowed to go out of her Gulshan residence. The former premier tried to move out of her house in her jeep in the afternoon but was stopped at the main gate.
Life in the city was paralysed for the second day since Saturday due to various measures taken up by law enforcers to foil the Dhaka march programme. Since morning, law enforcers took positions at all the entry points and major intersections of the capital. Public transport was off the road since Saturday at the instruction of law enforcers, causing great hardships to commuters.
About 20,000 personnel from police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed at key points in and around the capital and riot police, Armed Police Battalion (APBn), SWAT and bomb disposal teams were kept on alert.
A good number of water cannons and APCs were deployed in sensitive areas. Law enforcers cordoned the central office of the BNP and adjoining areas at Naya Paltan. With the backing of law enforcers, activists of the ruling Awami League and its front groups have taken over the streets of Dhaka to thwart the opposition programme.
They had mobilised in numbers in front of the party’s headquarters at Bangabandhu Avenue and at other points in Dhaka since Sundaymorning with processions. They were also seen frisking people in Dhaka-bound vehicles at Gabtoli, Amin Bazar and Keraniganj entry points.
Police have arrested BNP vice-chairman M Hafizuddin Ahmed in front of the National Press Club when he was leaving the premises after declaring the opposition’s fresh demonstrations. The Detective Branch of police made the arrest sometime after 7pm on Sunday, police said. His arrest came immediately after his announcement that the Opposition will hold nonstop sit-in demonstrations across the country until theJanuary 5 general elections.
At least two people were killed and over 100 were injured during sporadic clashes in different parts of the capital centring the BNP-led 18-Party Alliance’s enforced ‘March for Democracy’ programme towards Dhaka on Sunday.
The deceased were identified as Abu Anisur Prodhania, 22, a first-year LLB student of Banani City University and a resident of the Ashkona area. He was also Ashkona No -2 ward unit president of Islami Chhatra Shibir, a student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh. Another deceased, identified as Abul Kashem, 35, a security personnel of Bangladesh Railway, hailed from Ujani village of Muksudpur upazila in Gopalganj district.
Witnesses said Abu Anisur Prodhania was killed in police firing during a clash between 18-Party activists and police in the city’s Malibagh Bazar area at 11:30am when they brought out a procession to join the ‘March for Democracy’ programme.
When police intercepted them, they attacked the cops and exploded several crude bombs. In retaliation, the police fired teargas shells and rubber bullets to foil the procession, triggering a clash that left Anisur critically injured. He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where doctors declared him dead at around 12: 15pm.
In Kamalapur, a security personnel of Bangladesh Railway was killed and two others were injured in a bomb blast on Sunday afternoon. GRP sub-Inspector Azhar Ali said unknown miscreants had exploded two crude bombs in the area around 3:30pm, injuring two persons.
Witnesses said Abul Kashem was patrolling the railway station at 3:15 pm. On suspicion, he stopped two youths to inspect their bag and they suddenly hurled a crude bomb at him, leaving Kashem dead and injuring the two youths.
The injured are Al-Amin, 18, and Alam, 20. Railway minister Mujibul Haque has visited the spot.
On the other hand, police picked up three BNP Mahila Dal leaders from in front of the BNP headquarters in the Nayapaltan area at 11:30am. The detainees were identified as Rowshan Ara Farid, former BNP lawmaker for reserved seat of Parliament, Jannatul Ferdous and Sabiha Haque.
The Army, Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police personnel were seen on vigil from Jatrabari to Kanchpur bridge areas – one of the main gateways to Dhaka – to maintain law and order and prevent opposition activists to march towards BNP headquarters.
Army, RAB, police and armoured personnel were seen patrolling the areas time to time. Besides, an army checkpost was set up at the eastern part of Kanchpur Bridge and BGB personnel were kept on alert at Sanir Akhra.
Meanwhile, Awami Juba League organised a rally at Jatrabari intersection to protest against the opposition’s “March for Democracy” programme. AL activists of Jatrabari, Demra, Shampur, Kadamtoli and Gandaria joined the rally. Sources said the police detained about 30-35 people from Jatrabari and different areas, suspecting them to be opposition activists going to take part in the Dhaka march programme.
In Savar, ruling party activists, in collusion with law enforcers, were very aggressive in preventing all modes of transportation towards the capital. They set up check posts in different areas, including Savar Bus stand, Thana Stand, Rajfulbaria, Hemeyetpur and Aminbazar on the Dhaka-Aricha highway.
Some ruling party leaders, including Dhaka Zila Parishad chairman Hasina Dowla, were seen carrying bamboo sticks in front of the City Centre at Savar Bus Stand area. Dr Enamur Rahman, uncontested parliamentarian for Savar constituency, and Dhaka District AL organising secretary Masud Chowdhury took part in the heavy showdown against the opposition’s “March for Democracy” in the city. Some unidentified miscreants hurled a crude bomb at the AL supporters in front of the City Centre, but no one was injured during the incident. Some ruling party activists even dragged passengers down from rickshaws and forced them to walk on foot. They also misbehaved with daily commuters.
Talking to reporters, policemen, on condition of anonymity, disclosed that senior police officials had instructed them to jointly resist any people from entering the city. Large contingents of law enforcers, including the elite RAB, patrolled the Dhaka-Aricha highway, while ruling party supporters organised processions throughout the day.
In Noakhali, at least 30 people were injured as a group of BNP-led 18-Party Alliance activists clashed with the police at Maizdi in the district town on Sunday. Of the injured, three received bullet injuries.
Witnesses said when some activists of the 18-Party Alliance were trying to go to the capital on foot to join the Naya Paltan rally, the cops chased them around the Cinema Hall area in Maizdi.
The irate activists set fire to two vehicles and vandalised 20 others, including trucks and CNG-run auto-rickshaws, during the incident. Three people were arrested from the spot. Mohammad Anisur Rahman, superintendent of police in Noakhali, said the cops had to fire several rounds of bullets and teargas shells to disperse the opposition supporters to avoid any untoward incident.
In Rangpur, at least 60 people were injured in a clash between the cops and BNP supporters in the town around 2pm on Sunday. Five policemen, including Rangpur Sadar Police Station officer-in-charge Syed Sahabuddin Khalifa and constable Ziaul, were injured in the clash.
Witnesses said BNP and its frontal organisations brought out processions, with bamboo sticks tied with national flags, from the BNP party office at Grand Hotel intersection around 1:30pm. When the processions reached the Super Market area, the opposition supporters hurled two crude bombs at Shahabuddin Khalifa. Although the bombs missed their target, the OC got injured.
The police retaliated by firing several rubber bullets and tear-gas shells to disperse the activists. The clash eventually spread to Jummapara, City Bazar, Super Market, Betpatti and Paira Chattar areas, leaving 60 people injured. As many as 10 people, including Mim, student leader of Carmichael College, and city Chhatra Dal vice- president Ahsanul Kabir, were arrested from the spot.
In Sherpur, unidentified miscreants torched the election office in Sadar upazila in the wee hours of Sunday. Mostafizur Rahman, district election officer, confirmed the news. On receiving information, a fire-fighting unit rushed to the spot and doused the flames around 9am. Four chairs, a typewriter, and a ballot box were damaged in the arson attack. Deputy commissioner, police superintendent and UNO of Sherpur visited the spot.
Saiful Islam, Sadar upazila election officer, filed a case in this connection.
Our Narsingdi correspondent reports that at least 60 BNP leaders and workers were injured by Awami League activists and police attack in the Kandail area on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway. The opposition supporters were going to attend the “March for Democracy” programme.
Witnesses said about 10,000 BNP and its front organisations’ leaders and workers, led by Narsingdi district BNP president Khairul Kabir Khokan, sadar upazila chairman Monjur and Sultan Uddin Molla, were going to Dhaka.
When the procession reached the Kandail area, several hundred Awami League ssupporters, led by UP chairman Abdul Adud of Araihazar area, along with the Narsingdi sadar thana police and Araihazar thana police, attacked the opposition supporters.
In Chandpur, at least three vehicles were torched and 23 others vandalised in front of the Chandpur Government College around 5pm, in protest of the government’s obstruction of the BNP-sponsored “March for Democracy” programme. Members of BNP-Jammat and AL were engaged in chase and counter-chases in Chitralekha intersection and Hajiganj areas.
-With The Independent input
