BNP on Friday recalled the sacrifice of slain Jubo Dal activist Raja Ahmed Shaon for democracy by holding a gayebana namaz-e-janaza in the capital. The gayebana janaza - funeral prayers in absence of the body- was held in front of BNP Nayapaltan central office after Juma prayers with the participation of several hundred leaders and activists of the party. In a brief address prior to the  janaza, party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said police shot dead Shaon in Narayanganj on Thursday after recently killing Noor-e-Alam and Abdur Rahim in Bhola in the same way. “We had programmes to mark BNP's founding anniversary, not against the government.  But the government’s police force opened fire in many places across the country during our  peaceful programmes. Shaon embraced martyrdom in Narayanganj,” he said. Read:Gunning down Shaon amounts to killing democracy: Fakhrul Stating that Shon sacrificed his life for the sake of democracy and the people’s rights, the BNP leader said it cannot go in vain. “His sacrifice will make us stronger and encourage us to intensify the struggle that we started for the restoration of democracy and (unconditional) release of our leader Begum Khaleda Zia. We’ll peacefully involve people of the country in this struggle and we’ll achieve victory through the movement on the streets,” he observed.

Slamming the government for killing a Jubo Dal activist in Narayanganj by attacking a peaceful programme, BNP on Thursday vowed to launch a united movement to unseat the Awami League from power and avenge  the blood of its all slain workers. “Our Chhatra Dal leader Noor-e-Alam and Swechchasebak Dal leader Abur Rahim were killed in police firing in Bhola while observing a programme protesting the price hike of fuel and essential commodities. Our colleague Shaon was also killed in police firing today (Thursday) in Narayanganj,” said party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. In a brief address prior to bringing out a colourful rally at Naypaltan, he also said many leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies were suffered bullet wounds in different districts, including Netrakona, Sirajganj and Manikganj, as police attacked the party’s founding anniversary programmes. Also read: Jubo Dal activist killing: BNP announces 2-day protest programme “To avenge the blood of our brothers, we will defeat them (AL govt) through a united movement together with people. This is our oath on this day,” the BNP leader said. The party brought out the rally from its central office, marking its 44th founding anniversary. Thousands of leaders and activists of the party and its associate bodies holding banners, festoons and photos of the party's top leaders joined the rally. The BNP followers started gathering Nayapaltan area since 11 am blocking both sides of the road stretching from Bijoynagar crossing to Fakirerpool, halting traffic in and around the areas that caused immense sufferings to commuters. The rally began around 4pm from Bijoynagar crossing and ended in front of the Jatiya Press Club. Fakhrul said many BNP leaders and activists sacrificed their blood for establishing democracy and strengthening the party. “We remember with respect all of them.” He alleged that the current government obliterated democracy and snatched people’s all rights in a planned way. Also read: Jubo Dal activist killed in N’ganj clash “Our leader (Khaleda) who has fought for democracy all her life is now under house arrest. Our acting chairman has been exiled abroad by sentencing him in false cases while our 35 lakh leaders and workers are being harassed by implicating them in false cases,” the BNP leader said. As people have waged a movement to get their voting rights back, he said the government is trying to suppress it to hang onto power by resorting to repressive acts, enforced disappearance and killing. “But BNP was born to establish democracy.” “We are loudly saying that we want to remove this fascist Awami League regime and establish a truly democratic government for the sake of democracy. Let’s all unite and defeat this government by taking over the streets,” Fakhrul said.

An activist of Jubo Dal, BNP's youth wing, was killed and 50 people were injured in a clash between police and the opposition party members in Narayanganj's No 2 rail gate area Thursday. The deceased was identified as Shaon, 21. Anisur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, said the BNP activists took  out a procession around 10.45am, marking the founding anniversary of the party. Read:Cumilla: 25 including cops injured in AL-BNP clash When the procession reached the No-2 rail gate area around 11.30am, police stopped them, triggering a chase and counter chase. At one stage, the protesters attacked the cops, prompting the law enforcers to fire rubber bullets. The whole Bangabandhu road from No-2 rail gate point turned into a battlefield during the clash that left 50 people injured. Shaon received bullet injuries during the clash. He was taken to Narayanganj General Hospital, where the doctors declared him dead on arrival.