Police fired teargas and used batons during a clash with BNP activists at Nayapalton on Wednesday, leaving  a man dead and several others injured.

The man, identified as Md Mokbul, was declared dead when he was brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital at 3:40 pm from the scene of the clash in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, said Bacchu Mia, in-charge of the police outpost at the hospital.

Makbul’s political identity was not immediately known.

Police arrested over 150  BNP leaders and activists including BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, its south city unit convenor Abdus Salam, joint secretary general Khairul Kabir Khokon,  north city unit convener Amanullah Aman after conducting  a drive in the BNP office.

The clash broke out around 3 pm when slogan-chanting BNP leaders and activists took position outside the party office and defied police order to leave the place, witnesses said.

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At one stage of the altercation over the issue, police lobbed tear gas shells and charged batons to disperse them.

BNP activists responded by pelting brick chips at police, triggering the clash.

Police arrested BNP`s publicity secretary Shaheed Uddin Chowdhury Annie, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's special assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas  and general secretary of Sammilito Peshajibi Parishad Kader Goni Chowdhury from the spot after the clash.

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BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir rushed to BNP office around 4:40pm hearing the news of clash.

Fakhrul blamed the government for what he said unjustified police action. “It’s an unjustified action of police. We strongly condemn it.”

Biplab Sarkar, joint commissioner (operation) of DMP headquarters, said police took action to ensure public security. As per the directive of DMP commissioner police are doing whatever is needed to maintain law and order, he said.