Clashes broke out between police and BNP leaders and activists on Saturday when the latter gathered at several entrances of the capital to observe their five-hour sit-in programme.

The clashes broke out at Sonir Akhra, Uttara,Matuail and Gabtoli around 11am when the opposition activists took position there. 

Police picked up several BNP leaders including BNP senior leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Amanullah Aman  during the clashes.

BNP leader AmanUllah Aman fell sick during chase and counter-chase with police when he went to Gabtoli to join the sit-ins programme.

Police picked him up while he was lying on the road.

Also read: AL’s Dhaka South unit postpones sit-in program at entry points of capital 

Meanwhile, a large number of law enforcers have been deployed at the key entry points of Dhaka centring BNP’s sit-ins as Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Friday night said it will not allow the party to hold their programme.

 

 

Visiting Uttara BNS Centre, Gabtoli's SA Khalek Bus Station, Nayabaza and Jatrabari it was seen that several hundred members of police and Ansars took position there since morning.

Some BNP men tried to converge on Gabtoli around 10:50pm, but police obstructed them.

Also read: DMP denies AL, BNP permission for programmes on Saturday

Earlier on Friday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced from their mammoth grand rally at Nayapaltan that they will stage a five-hour sit-in programme at all the important entry points of the capital on Saturday to press home their one-point demand.

"Our programme will be completely peaceful. Observing this programme is our constitutional right,” the BNP leader told the rally.

As per the party’s plan, Dhaka north city unit of BNP is supposed stage sit-ins in front of Uttara BNS Centre and Gabtoli's SA Khalek Bus Station while Dhaka south city unit in front of Nayabazar BNP office and in front of Dania College on Chattogram Road at Jatrabari.

Also read: AL activists to be stationed at entry points of Dhaka to resist BNP

Later, Awami League and its youth wing, Jubo League, announced to hold peace rallies at Abdullahpur, Tongi, Gabtoli, Aminbazar, Babuh Bazar, Signboard, Kanchpur, Jatrabari and other entry points of the city from 10am to 5pm.

Amid the growing fear of violence and confrontation, Dhaka Metropolitan Police said it will not allow BNP and Awami League to hold such programmes at the entry points of the capital considering the intelligence reports of deteriorating law and order and public suffering.

Following the DMP’s moves, the ruling party backed off from its decision to hold rallies, but they will remain alert on the streets.