Politics
Nayapaltan clash: Over 3000 BNP activists, others sued
Police filed four cases at Ramna, Shahjahanpur, Motijheel and Paltan police stations against 720 BNP activists and over 2400 unnamed people in connection with Wednesday’s clash with BNP that left one person dead and many injured.
Faruq Hossain, Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police revealed the information at a press briefing in the capital’s DMP Media Centre on Thursday.
So far 500 people have been arrested in this regard, he said.
Of the BNP men, 450 were accused in the case filed at Nayapaltan police station, 20 in Motijheel police station case and seven in Shahjahanpur police station case.
Read more: 1 killed in police-BNP clash at Nayapaltan; Over 150 leaders, activists held
Among 42 police members,16 are under treatment at Rajarbagh Central Police Hospital and another at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), said Deputy Commissioner Faruq Hossain.
He said police filed a case against 473 BNP activists and 15,00-2,000 anonymous people at Paltan police station on charges of assault on police and under the Explosives Substances Act over the Wednesday’s incident.
They were accused of keeping explosive materials at the BNP party office, attacking police and sabotage.
After the clash, 473 BNP leaders and activists were arrested from the party’s central office and surrounding areas who were named in this case.
Md Sahidul Osman Masum, Sub Inspector and in-charge of Siddheswari police outpost under Ramna model police station filed a case against 167 leaders and activists of BNP and its assciate bodies and many unnamed ones under the penal code and the Explosive Substances Act (Amendment 2002 on Thursday.
Rawnaqul Islam Srabon, president of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal central committee, Fazlur Rahman Khokon, former president of JCD central committee, and Md Saiful, organizational secretary of Jubo Dal Ramna committee are among the accused in this case.
Besides, Rafiqul Islam, Sub-Inspector of Shahjahanpur police station filed a case against 52 BNP activists and 200 to 250 anonymous people under different sections of the Penal Code and the Explosive Substances Act (Amendment 2002).
Nazrul Islam Shikdar, sub-inspector of Motijheel Police Station filed a case against 28 BNP activists and leaders at Motijeel Police station under the Explosive Substances Act.
Police fired teargas and used batons during a clash with BNP activists at Nayapalton on Wednesday, leaving a man dead and several others injured on Wednesday.
Read more: Over 300 BNP leaders, activists held: Police
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday claimed that two leaders of their party’s student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal were killed and over 100 others were injured in an attack by police when bullets were fired in front of their party’s Nayapaltan central office.
However, police said they detained over 300 leaders and activists of the BNP from the party's Nayapaltan headquarters after the clash.
The detained leaders included BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Publication Secretary Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie.
BNP executed its plan at Nayapaltan yesterday: Quader
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said that BNP has acted on its conspiracy – doing politics over yesterday’s death in Nayapaltan.
He made the remark at the opening session of the joint meeting of Dhaka Metropolitan North and South units of Awami League.
Quader said people of the country are anxious as BNP has “again started terrorism” in the country.
“They brought militants to the street, at the center of the rally, and executed their plan yesterday at Nayapaltan. They attacked the police,” he said.
Criticizing the media, he said that policemen were lying wounded on the road, but the media did not show that scene. “They (BNP activists) burnt BRTC bus. Government vehicles will be burnt, that scene will not be shown. Why this behaviour?”
He also wanted to know the reason why a section of media outlets was “taking sides.”
“This is my complaint. Such a big gathering in Cox’s Bazar, but the media did not show that properly. We expect the media to show what they see. We call for the truth to be shown,” he added.
Read more: ‘Wait and see what happens in Dhaka, people are waking up’
The AL general secretary said direction comes from London, Mirza Fakhrul only follows them.
Saying that Awami League leaders and activists will be on alert in all districts, upazila, and wards, he cautioned that BNP is trying to remove the government through conspiracy.
“We cannot hand over the country to communal forces,” he said.
He said that the ruling party will not attack, but if affected, they will give fitting reply.
He also said that they will not allow roads to be blocked with rally.
Read more: Don’t allow arsonists, anti-liberation forces to assume power: PM
Criticizing diplomats, Quader said foreign friends are “being biased” in their communication, which is “not diplomatic etiquette.”
‘Wait and see what happens in Dhaka, people are waking up’
Amid a tense situation and speculations over BNP’s December 10 rally, the party’s secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today said they will hold their rally at Nayapaltan on December 10 as planned earlier.
He announced the decision at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office this afternoon.
BNP announced the decision a day after a fierce clash between their party activists and police in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office yesterday left one person dead and many injured.
“Wait and see what happens in Dhaka, people have started to wake up,” he said while responding to a question from reporters.
“It is the government’s responsibility to ensure the rally is held peacefully. We will consider if the government offers a suitable alternative venue,” he said.
Read more: Fakhrul visits Makbul’s body at DMCH morgue, condoles his family
He also demanded that the government reopen the BNP office and withdraw police from the area immediately.
He said their new action programme will be announced next week to realise their demands, including the resignation of the government, dissolution of the parliament, and reestablishment of the caretaker government.
“Police attacked BNP leaders and activists without any provocation. Such a cowardly attack is unimaginable. Police unwarrantedly entered BNP office with bombs in a bag,” said Fakhrul.
He said Wednesday’s police attack was tantamount to putting the last nail in the coffin of democracy.
Police vandalised furniture and valuables of the office and took away important documents of the party, he alleged.
Read more: BNP will hold Dec 10 rally at Nayapaltan, Fakhrul says
He said that policemen kept the bombs in the office and staged the drama. “Then police claimed they recovered explosives from BNP office and declared the area a ‘crime scene’.”
He said their party sought permission for holding the rally at Nayapaltan, but police gave permission to hold it at Suhrawardy Udyan which was not acceptable to BNP. DMP commissioner phoned BNP leader Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie to talk about an alternative venue, but he was arrested, said Fakhrul.
BNP to hold its Dec 10 rally at Nayapaltan: Fakhrul
Amid a tense situation and speculations over BNP’s Dhaka rally, party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said they will hold their programme at Nayapaltan on December 10 as planned earlier.
“We must hold the mass rally and we sought to arrange the programme at Nayapaltan. It’s now the responsibility of the government to remove all barriers to holding it in Dhaka peacefully. Otherwise, the government has to bear all the responsibilities (if anything bad happens),” he said.
Speaking at a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, he called upon the government to withdraw the police force from in front of their party’s Nayapaltan central office and create a proper atmosphere there for the rally.
BNP took the decision a day after a fierce clash between their party activists and police and the subsequent action by the law enforcers at Nayapaltan on Wednesday that left one killed and over 50 injured.
Fakhrul said it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that the rally is held peacefully.
He, hover, said they will consider if the government offers a suitable alternative venue.
Read More:Fakhrul visits Makbul’s body at DMCH morgue, condoles his family
The BNP leader said their party sought permission for holding the rally at Nayapaltan, but police gave permission to hold it at Suhrawardy Udyan, which was in no way acceptable to BNP.
He said the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner phoned BNP leader Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee to talk about an alternative venue, but he was arrested when he was going to the DMP office.
Asked what their party will do if the government does not allow them to use Nayapaltan for the programme, the BNP leader said they will go there on Saturday to hold the rally. “People will determine their course of actions if we’re obstructed.”
Replying to another question, he said, “Wait to see by yourselves what will happen in Dhaka since the country's people have started waking up.”
The BNP leader said their new action programmes will be announced from the rally to realise their demands, including the resignation of the government, dissolution of parliament and installation of a caretaker government to oversee the next polls.
Police action is a manifestation of authoritarianism
Fakhrul alleged that police attacked BNP leaders and activists without any provocation. “This heinous and barbaric attack by the police at Nayapaltan was just a manifestation of the fascist authoritarianism of the government. Such a cowardly attack is unimaginable.”
He said Wednesday’s police attack on BNP leaders and activists was tantamount to putting the last nail in the coffin of democracy. “Awami League has turned the country into a police state in fear of facing ouster.”
Read More: Police kept the bombs in BNP office: Fakhrul
The BNP leader urged the government to stay away from the undemocratic path and release the BNP leaders and activists who were arrested on Wednesday from Nayapaltan.
A drama over bomb recovery
Fakhrul said police unwarrantedly entered the BNP office with bombs in a cement bag after attacking the party leaders and activists on Wednesday.
He said police members kept the bombs by themselves at the BNP office and staged a drama over bomb recovery and bomb explosion.
“The police claimed that they recovered huge explosives from the BNP office and declared the area a crime scene. It’s a lie,” the BNP leader said.
He said even the police exploded bombs before his eyes after barring him from entering the office on Wednesday. “They established a reign of terror by detonating numerous bombs there.”
The BNP leader alleged that the Awami League 'cadres’ along with the law enforcers carried out terror acts at Nayapaltan.
He also said police vandalised furniture and valuables of the office and took away computers, laptops, hard disks and important documents, including banks’ chequebooks of the party.
The BNP leader said the police conducted a drive at the BNP office after arresting all party leaders and activists who were staying there. "As per the law, the owner of the house or an establishment must be present during such a drive by police."
AL a terrorist party
Fakhrul said the ruling party leaders have long been issuing various threats centring BNP’s December-10 rally. “They said they will guard all the localities and lanes on December 10. Their attitude has exposed that Awami League has now become a terrorist party.”
He said Awami League has been running the country by spreading fear among people and resorting to hooliganism as the party does not believe in democracy.
The BNP leader also said the government has made a planned blueprint to foil BNP’s rally at Nayapaltan.
He said the government has been carrying out various false campaigns against BNP to malign it, but people can understand that Awami League is a party of liars.
Don’t allow arsonists, anti-liberation forces to assume power: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday asked the people not to allow the arson terrorists and anti-liberation forces to return to power.
"The arson terrorists should not be allowed to come in power in the country anymore. The anti-liberation elements should not be allowed to come to office," she said.
The PM was addressing a joint meeting of Awami League and its associate bodies at the AL central office in the city's Bangabandhu Avenue through a virtual platform from her official residence Ganabhaban.
Read more: 50 sued over torching, vandalizing vehicles in Ctg
Hasina, also the AL president, asked her party leaders to remain alert in every area so that they (BNP-Jamaat) cannot torture anyone.
Bitterly criticising BNP, she said that it does not suit BNP to talk about democracy as Ziaur Rahman had given curfew-democracy while Khaleda Zia gave a system of corruption in the country.
"We should not forget that Khaleda Zia has two virtues (skills) -- corruption and killing people," said Hasina.
Read more: Police kept the bombs in BNP office: Fakhrul
She said her government has transformed the country into a digital Bangladesh, but they (BNP-Jamaat) are carrying out propaganda against the government using the digital platforms.
Hasina said they would execute the sentences of convicted Tarique Rahman, bringing him back from the United Kingdom.
The PM asked her party men to remain alert so that the BNp and Jamaat cannot harm even a single person. The hand with which they come to set vehicles on fire will have to be burnt with the same fire, she said, adding that it is not the time to get tortured anymore.
Noting that AL men were tortured for 21 years from 1975 to 1996 and from 2001 to 2008,
She said that the hand with which they come to hit will have to be broken.
“The hand with which they come to set people on fire will have to be brunt with the same fire. It will have to make them feel about the pain of burn injuries,” she said.
She directed the AL men to depict the pictures of how the BNP-Jamaat had tortured the people.
50 sued over torching, vandalizing vehicles in Ctg
A case was filed against 50 people on Thursday in connection with the torching of a vehicle and vandalising two others allegedly from a procession of Chhatra Dal following the death of a Swechchasebak Dal leader during clash with police in Dhaka.
Zahidul Kabir, officer-n-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said the owner of a private car which was vandalised, filed the case with Kotwali Police against 50 people including 40 unidentified ones.
Read more: 1 killed in police-BNP clash at Nayapaltan; Over 150 leaders, activists held
Earlier, a group of Chhatra Dal leaders and activists brought out a procession protesting the death of a Swechchasebak Dal leader during police action in Dhaka’s Nayapaltan on Wednesday.
They set a pick-up van afire at Almas Cinema intersection and vandalised two private cars from the procession.
Police are trying to arrest those involved in the vandalism and arson attack, the OC said.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Saiful Alam, convener of Chattogram Metropolitan Chhatra Dal, denied the allegation of vandlising and torching vehicles. He blamed Awami League activists for the incidents.
Read more: Police kept the bombs in BNP office: Fakhrul
Fakhrul visits Makbul’s body at DMCH morgue, condoles his family
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has visited the morgue of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) where the body of Makbul Hossain, who was killed on Wednesday during a clash between police and BNP activists, has been kept.
The BNP leader reached there soon after he was barred by police from going to the BNP’s Nayapaltan Central Office on Thursday morning, said Sayrul Kabir Khan, a BNP media cell member.
Fakhrul condoled Halima, wife of Makbul, and their daughter Mitul at the hospital and provided them with financial assistance.
Read more: Police kept the bombs in BNP office: Fakhrul
Dr Rafiqul Islam, BNP’s Health Affairs Secretary, was present there.
Makbul Hossain, joint convener of No 5 ward unit Swechchasebak Dal, Pallabi, was killed during a clash between police and BNP leaders and activities in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan Central Office on Wednesday.
Police kept the bombs in BNP office: Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Faklhrul Islam Alamgir was barred from going into BNP’s Nayapaltan Central Office this morning (December 08, 2022).
Police stopped Fakhrul when he reached Bijoynagar intersection around 10:50 am, after appearing before a Dhaka court in the morning.
Police officers told the senior BNP leader that they will not allow anyone to go into the BNP office until their necessary work is done for security reasons, as they “recovered bombs” from there.
Also read: Traffic movement halted in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan office
"Police are lying... This is our office, and I will go in. It is my right to go there," said Fakhrul.
Biplab Sarkar, joint commissioner (operation) of DMP headquarters, told Fakhrul that BNP leaders threw cocktails at police yesterday (December 07, 2022) in the area, and that BNP office is not safe, it is now "a crime scene".
"No one is allowed to go in until our work is done," he said. As Fakhrul got agitated, Biplab requested, "Please don’t be angry and cooperate with us.”
Also read: Fakhrul barred from going into BNP’s Nayapaltan office
Fakhrul responded, "Don’t talk like political leaders."
Fakhrul said the BNP office is "their property" and they have the right to go in.
Later, talking to reporters, the BNP leader said, “Despite being the BNP secretary general, I was not allowed to go to my party’s central office. This is my democratic right. What the police officer said about bombs in our office is a blatant lie. They (police) themselves carried the bombs and kept those there.”
Read More: BNP to hold press conference this afternoon
He demanded the government reopen the BNP office and release all arrested BNP leaders and activists. He also urged the government to take proper action against those involved in the killing of the Swechchasebak Dal leader.
He called upon the government to take proper steps so that BNP can hold its rally in a peaceful manner.
Asked where their rally will be held on December 10, Fakhrul said they will inform the media on that at the press conference at 3 pm today.
Read More: We know why 'BNP is orchestrating violence' ahead of December 10: Quader
BNP to hold press conference this afternoon
Following yesterday's police action at Nayapaltan, BNP will hold a press conference on the incident this afternoon.
The press conference will be held at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office at 3pm, said Sayrul Kabir Khan, a BNP media cell member.
Yesterday, the party announced to hold a press conference at 3:30pm but it was postponed.
Read more: Drive inside BNP head office was against attempts for subversive activities, says DMP Commissioner
One person was killed and over 100 were injured, and nearly 300 BNP leaders and activists were arrested yesterday after a clash between police and opposition activists in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.
Read more: Fakhrul barred from going into BNP’s Nayapaltan office
Fakhrul barred from going into BNP’s Nayapaltan office
BNP Secretary General Mirza Faklhrul Islam Alamgir was barred from going into BNP’s Nayapaltan Central Office this morning (December 08, 2022).
Police stopped Fakhrul when he reached Bijoynagar intersection around 10:50 am, after appearing before a Dhaka court in the morning.
Police officers told the senior BNP leader that they will not allow anyone to go into the BNP office until their necessary work is done for security reasons, as they “recovered bombs” from there.
BNP central office remained vacant since last night (December 07, 2022) after the police raid, but a large number of law enforcers remained deployed in the area since this morning.
Read more: Traffic movement halted in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan office
A tense situation is prevailing in the area in Dhaka where traffic movement remained disrupted since Wednesday night following the clash between BNP activists and police.
No one is being allowed to enter the area without ID, as police have set up barricades at the Nightingale intersection in Bijoynagar and Fakirapool. No vehicles were seen in front of the BNP office.
No BNP leaders and activists have been seen at the party office since this morning, after the clash.
Most offices, shopping malls and shops in the area were closed till 10 am this morning.
Read more: 1 killed in police-BNP clash at Nayapaltan; Over 150 leaders, activists held
Locals said that they are panicked as a huge number of policemen are taking position in the area. They were also facing difficulties in going to their respective destinations.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday claimed that two leaders of their party’s student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal were killed and over 100 others were injured in an attack by police when bullets were fired in front of their party’s Nayapaltan central office.
Besides, he said, around 600 BNP leaders and activists, including party's senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Dhaka south city unit convener Abdus Salam and north city unit convener Amanullah Aman, were arrested from the party office.
The DMP commissioner, meanwhile, said BNP men exploded cocktails from their party office and for that the drive was carried out.
Read More: BNP to hold press conference this afternoon
“We beefed up security by increasing the number of police. It was an official day, and they (BNP) didn’t take prior permission to hold the rally”, he said.