The daylong hartal enforced by the BNP in Bogura, the birthplace of the party founder late Ziaur Rahman, was marked by clashes, vandalism, chase and counter chase, and picketing on Sunday.
Forty men from BNP, five to six from Awami League (AL) were injured and 17 vehicles vandalized in tripartite clashes among AL, police and the opposition amid the hartal.
No intra-district and long-haul route buses moved in the district but train communication remained as usual. Most establishments including markets also remained closed fearing damage.
Witnesses said four to five Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD, student wing of BNP) activists including district unit president Saidul Islam sustained bullet injuries in a clash with police when they brought out a procession in favour of the hartal from in front of the party office on Nababbari Road in the district town around 8am.
At 9am, at least 10 to 15 BNP men and five to six AL men were injured in a clash between the parties in Galapatti area of the district town. Police opened rubber bullets to bring the situation under control as the cocktails were exploded at the time.
Four to five BNP men were hurt in another clash with the AL when an AL procession was passing out in front of the BNP office.
District chapter BNP president Rezaul Karim Badsha alleged that the AL men swooped on them leaving four to five supporters injured when a peaceful hartal was going on. Later the BNP supporters were removed from the area.
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Denying the allegation, the district unit AL Publicity and Publication Secretary Sultan Mahmud Khan Rony claimed that the BNP men hurled brickbats targeting them from the BNP office leaving eight supporters including office secretary Al Raji Jewel injured.
In the morning, 13 people including a child were injured in clashes between police and BNP men on Dhaka-Dinajpur Highway in Bagherpara Kholer Ghor area under Sadar upazila.
The injured child was admitted to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital.
At least 17 vehicles including the Sadar Upazila Nirbahir Officer’s one were vandalized. Later a few other vehicles also got torched there.
The BNP men using mikes from mosques allegedly asked police personnel to go away from the road. However, the Rapid Action Battalion brought the situation under control.
BNP Organizing Secretary Sahid-Un-Nabi claimed that at least 40 supporters were injured in attacks by the AL and police in the district.
Twenty-nine BNP men from Dupchanchia upazila and three from Adamdighi Upazila were arrested, he said.
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Demanding immediate release of the arrested leaders and activists, Nabi claimed that five leaders including district unit Vice President MR Islam Swadin were arrested from Sirajganj when they were returning from Dhaka to Bogura on Saturday night.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Sudip Kumar Chakrabarty said the BNP men got involved in clashes with law enforcers after calling from the mosque by mikes.
A few people including a child were injured when people tried to remove the picketers, he said.
Additional SP Snigda Akhter said they used five rounds of bullets to disperse BNP men during clashes with law enforcers.
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