BNP activists and police clashed with police in the capital's Nayapaltan area on Tuesday, leaving over 60 people, including six law enforcers, injured.

The clash took place around 11:30am when some BNP men brought out a procession towards Kakrail crossing after the end of a ‘peace rally' in front of their office.

As police tried to obstruct the procession, BNP activists locked in the clash by throwing brickbats towards police.

At one stage, police charged batons on the BNP men and fired teargas canisters at them.

Several hundred BNP leaders and activists gathered in front of BNP’s central office since morning to join the peace rally in protest against the recent communal violence in the country.

Read: AL behind’ communal violence, alleges BNP

Huge cops were deployed in the Nayapaltan area this morning.

BNP was scheduled to bring out a ‘peace rally’ towards the Jatiya Press Club from its Nayapaltan central office at 11am.

As the government deployed a huge number of police in Nayapaltan area since morning, BNP general secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced that the programme was over after holding a brief rally on a makeshift stage in front of their party office.

Abdul Ahad, deputy commissioner (Motijheel Division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said BNP leaders and activists were not supposed to take out any procession after their rally as they did not have any permission for it.

“Their secretary general also asked them not to bring out any procession. Even then, you’ve seen they came here with a procession and threw brickbats at our police,” he said.

Ahad said the policemen were forced to charge batons and fired rubber bullets and teargas shells to maintain law and order and bring the situation under control.

He said six policemen were injured in the attack by BNP activists. “The way they threw brickbats at the police, it cannot be expected in any civilised country.”

He said they arrested 40 people from the spot.

Meanwhile, Mirza Fakhrul alleged that police arrested over 50 BNP leaders and activists even before the start of the rally.

He alleged that the police attacked their leaders and activists without any provocation when they were returning home after a peaceful rally.

The BNP leader also said police charged batons, lobbed teargas, and opened fire on their leaders and activists, leaving many of them injured.

Read: BNP for strong resistance against sectarian violence

He said the government has resorted to repressive acts in a bid to cling to power as it has got completely isolated from people. “They’re squeezing the democratic space as we’re not allowed to hold any peaceful rally. This government doesn’t believe in peace."

The BNP leader said the government must shoulder all the responsibility for the incident that happened at Nayapaltan.

“The government is inciting communal incidents in the country to stay in power. “It’s pushing the country towards disability to hang onto power,” he added.

Later, at a press conference, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi claimed that over 100 party leaders and activists were arrested before and after their rally at Nayapaltan.

Besides, he said, their 60 leaders and workers were injured during police action.

Rizvi said the critically injured BNP men were admitted to different hospitals.

He condemned the police action and demanded the release of those arrested.