Dhaka, Nov 14 (UNB) – Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Wednesday said the attack on police at Nayaplatan was carried out in a planned, conspiratorial and motivated way to foil the forthcoming national election.

Legal actions will be taken against the attackers analysing the video footage, he said while talking to reporters at the secretariat.

“The election preparations are going on peacefully…peace is prevailing everywhere. When the country’s people are busy taking preparations for election, they are carrying out acts of sabotage in a planned way,” said the minister.

Responding to a question about deployment of police in front of BNP office while their absence in front of AL Dhanmondi office during collection of nomination papers by AL men, he said, “Roads in Nayapaltan areas are important, while the Dhanmondi road is, in fact, a by-lane.” Responding to another question about BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s statement that the government was behind the attack to foil election, Asaduzzaman said, “We don’t want to challenge the BNP leader’s speech.  We all watched the video footage on the incident there. Police were there for the security of BNP leaders. The untoward situation was created when two BNP leaders went there. BNP leaders and activists were in an attacking mood.”

The minister said the government is ready to tackle all types of situation.

Responding to another question over filing political cases against BNP leaders, he said no political case was filed against BNP men. They were sued for specific reasons.

“The BNP leaders gave us lists during dialogue. Now the scrutiny of the lists is underway,” he added.

Dhaka, Nov 14 (UNB) – Awami League on Wednesday alleged that BNP activists, led by party senior leader Mirza Abbas, attacked police ‘without any provocation’ in front of its Nayapaltan central office as part of the party’s ‘plot’ to foil the election and topple the government.

“They (BNP activists) led by Mirza Abbas swopped on police today (Wednesday) without any provocation… they exposed their heroism and plot to foil the election by attacking police,” said Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader.

Speaking at press conference at Awami League President’s Dhanmondi office, he further said, “Today’s incident demonstrated that their intention is not to join the election, but to foil it and oust the popular government of Sheikh Hasina.”

Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, said two police vans were torched, another was damaged, and 13 police members were seriously injured in the attack.

He said the wounded police men were admitted to a hospital for receiving treatment.

Earlier in the day, a fierce clash broke out between police and BNP leaders and activists in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan Central office, leaving an unspecified number of people, including law enforcers, injured.

Witness said BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas along with his several hundred supporters marched towards their party office around 12:40pm and started staging a showdown there before buying party’s nomination paper, halting traffic on the road.

The clash ensued as police locked into an altercation with the BNP leaders and activists over clearing road for vehicular movement.

Dhaka, Nov 14 (UNB) – Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Monirul Islam on Wednesday said the attack was carried out on police without any provocation to create an issue.

He came up with the remark while briefing reporters at Kakrail Nightangle crossing after a fierce clash that took place between BNP men and police in the afternoon.

Two groups of nomination seekers gathered in front of the BNP office with huge supporters and blocked the road around 1:15am, he said.

“Around 7-8 policemen along with an armoured personnel carrier (APC) were performing duty there. Police obstructed the BNP men as they blocked the road. Obstructed, they torched a police vehicle and attacked the policemen,” said Monirul, also the chief of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit.

At least 13 policemen, including an additional deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner (patrol), were injured in the attack. They are undergoing treatment at Rajarbagh Police Lines, he said.

There is a directive of the Election Commission not to violate the electoral code of conduct, said Monirul urging people not to consider police as their rivals.

He urged all to carry out their activities in a systematic way. Police showed their highest level of patience during the incident, claimed Monirul.

A fierce clash broke out between police and BNP leaders and activists in front of the party’s Nayapaltan Central office here on Wednesday evening, leaving an unspecified number of people injured.

Dhaka, Nov 4 (UNB) – A fierce clash broke out between police and BNP leaders and activists in front of the party’s Nayapaltan Central office here on Wednesday, leaving an unspecified number of people injured.

Witness said BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas along with his several hundred supporters  marched towards their party office around 12:40pm and started staging a showdown there, halting traffic on the road.

Police tried to remove the BNP men from a portion of the road so that vehicles can pass through, but failed to do so.

At one stage, they locked into an altercation with the BNP leaders and activists and started charging batons to maintain the law and order.

BNP leaders and activists also started hurling brickbats at the cops, triggering a fierce clash between the two sides.

A chase-and-counter-chase was going on there till filing of the report around 1:25pm. Police also lobbed teargas to disperse the BNP activists.

At least two police vans were torched and some other vehicles vandalised in the Nayapaltan area.

Huge police took position in front of Bijoynagar Nightingale crossing.

A police official wising anonymity said they may go on further action anytime soon.

He also claimed that some copes were injured in the attack.

BNP leaders and activists also took position again in front of their office while party senior leaders were asking them to exercise restraint and not to respond to any provocation. 

BNP assistant office secretary Taipul Islam Tipu told UNB that the clash broke out around 12:5o pm as the police were trying to obstruct their leaders and activists from gathering in front of their office.

Traffic in the areas came to a complete halt following the clash.

Like the past two days, thousands of BNP leaders and activists gathered in front of their office in the morning while many others started joining them in small processions until the clash began as the party continued the sale of its nomination forms for the third consecutive days today among those who want to contest the 11th parliamentary elections with its tickets.

Carrying posters, banners, festoons, placards and portraits of party chairperson Khaleda Zia, acting chairman Tarique Rahman and nomination aspirants, the party activists were celebrating the nomination sale.

On Monday morning, the party formally started the sale of nomination with the purchase of three nomination papers for its jailed chairperson Khaleda Zia. BNP sold 1,326 nomination papers on the first day while 1,896 ones on the second day.

The sale of nomination papers are supposed to continue until November 16.

Gopalganj, Nov 14 (UNB) – German Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Fahrenholtz on Tuesday said free, fair, peaceful and credible elections is needed in Bangladesh.

The ambassador came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after placing tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara in Gopalganj on Tuesday night.

“My country wants to see the practice of democracy in Bangladesh and for this reason a free, fair, credible and peaceful election is needed here as well as participations of all parties. I hope all the political parties will take part in the next election,” he said.

Bangladesh set an example in the economic development and the country has achieved much in the last ten years, the ambassador further said. 

“It will turn into a middle-income country soon,” he added.