The nationwide march programme at union-level by the BNP to press home their 10-point demand, including holding the next general election under a non-party caretaker government, was observed in all the unions on Saturday amid clashes with police and obstruction by ruling party activists.

However, Ganatantra Mancha, Ganatantrik Bam Oikya, the 12-Party Alliance, Samamona Jote, LDP, Gonoforum, and People’s Party, observed a similar programme in different areas of the capital peacefully as part of their simultaneous movement.

The leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies alleged that the police and the Awami League activists obstructed them while holding the programme in different areas.

Contacted, BNP assistant office secretary Taiful Islam Tipu told UNB that their party leaders and activists were attacked and obstructed by police and ruling party activists in almost every district of the country.

“We’re collecting information of the attacks and our party senior leaders will come up with detailed information on it at a press conference at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office at 12pm on Sunday,” he said.

Tipu said their party leaders and activists came under attacks at least in 50 places across the country while observing the march programme, leaving more than 300 people injured.

Besides, he said over 200 BNP leaders were arrested in different areas while offices of the BNP and the houses of the party leaders were also attacked in some areas. 

UNB correspondents in Narayanganj, Sirajganj, Natore, Kurigran, Bhola, Noakhali, Jashore, Lalmonirhat, Bogura, Jamalpur, Gazipur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Jhalokati, Tangail, Munshiganj, Narsingdi Mymensingh, Cumilla, Rajshahi and Nilphamari reported the incidents of clashes and obstructions over the BNP’s march programmes.

Around 300 opposition activists were injured in clashes with police and the ruling party AL men and police in different places.

In Narayanganj, at least BNP activists were injured in a clash between police and BNP during their march at Panchrukhi in Araihazar upazila.

Lutfur Rahman, former joint secretary of the district unit BNP, said police attacked their procession Panchrukhi, leading to a chase and counter-chase.

Police also lobbed tear gas shells and charged batons to disperse them, leaving 12 people injured.

In Sirajganj, the activists of Awami League and BNP locked in a clash during the opposition’s union-level march in Sadar upazila, leaving 19 people injured.  Twelve motorbikes were vandalised and three were burnt during the clash.

Hossain said the main goal of their march programme at all unions was to spread the ongoing movement at the grassroots level.

In Jamalpur, at least 28 people were injured in a clash between Awami League and BNP workers in Sadar upazila.

The incident occurred at the Kamalkhan Bazar under Titpalla union when the ruling party activists attacked a procession of BNP, said Jamalpur BNP General Secretary Advocate Shah Waresh Ali Mamun.

In Barguna, the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) vandalized the office of Barguna’s Patharghata upazila unit BNP over the party’s march programme, leaving eight BNP activists injured.

In Natore, at least 20 people were injured in a clash between leaders and activists of the Awami League and BNP at Pirganj Bazar of Natore Sadar upazila over the march programme.

In Narsingdi, BNP joint secretary general Khairul Kabir Khokon's motorcade came under attack at the Itakhola intersection, leaving four people injured.

BNP standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan alleged that police obstructed him at Polash upazila as went there to join their party's march programme. “We finally observed the programme defying all barriers by the law enforcers,” he told UNB.

Talking to UNB on Friday, BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the main goal of their march programme at all unions was to spread the ongoing movement to the grassroots level.

It was the fifth program of the simultaneous movement after the mass processions on December 24 and 30, sit-in on January 11 and rallies, processions on January 16 and rallies on January 25 and February 4.

Earlier, leaders and activists of the party’s Dhaka North and South city units observed the march program on January 28, 31, 30 and February 1 respectively to push for the 10-point demand.

BNP’s Dhaka North City unit will again march from Shyamoli club ground to the Basila Saat Rasta crossing on Sunday (February 12).