The BNP has announced nationwide demonstrations for Sunday protesting the attack on their programme in the city’s Mirpur. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the announcement at a press conference at the chairperson's office in Gulshan on Friday morning. Read: BNP won't budge from decision to shun polls under AL govt: Fakhrul The protests will be held in all cities, districts and upazilas including Dhaka, said Fakhrul. BNP will also hold a demonstration in front of the party's central office in the city’s Nayapaltan at 3pm. Fakfrul said Awami League is an anti-democratic and a terrorist force that takes away the rights of the people of the country. “Awami League established one-party rule in the past, but they still want to establish one-party, Baksal, for the same purpose,” he added. He said AL had attacked BNP leaders and activists attacked opposition programmes in the same way in the past. "What Awami League wants to do now ahead of the election is to ensure that no healthy ,election environment remains here and  the demand of a neutral government for which the people are protesting is not met,” said Fakhrul. They (AL) want to hold another election without any opposition party to establish their one-party rule, he added. Read: Over 100 injured in AL-BNP clash in Mirpur On Thursday, at least 100 BNP activists were injured during a series of clashes with ruling Awami League rivals at the capital's Mirpur area over holding a scheduled rally. “We took permission from police to hold the rally and accordingly asked our activists to join. As our leaders, activists were coming with a procession, activists of AL, Jubo League, and Bangladesh Chaatra League (BCL) attacked them with sticks, rods,” said Aminul Haque, member secretary of Dhaka North unit of BNP. Police also lobbed tear shells at BNP activists, he said. Around 15 activists were held by police, said the BNP leader. Such an attack on a protest rally against price hikes of essentials proves that the government wants to prevent democratic rights in a fascist style, said Aminul. Earlier on September 10, BNP announced to hold public rallies in 16 spots under its Dhaka south and north city units until September 27 in protest against the increase in prices of essentials, fuel and transport fares. The rallies are also meant for registering the party’s protest against the killings of Bhola Chhatra Dal leader Noor-e-Alam, Swechchasebak Dal leader Abdur Rahim and Narayanganj Jubo Dal leader Shaon Prodhan.

Police have sued 2,00 BNP leaders and workers on Thursday over violence durung a rally here on Wednesday. Sub-Inspector of Habiganj police station Nazmul Hasan filed the case  against 65 identified persons including Abdul Hashem, district unit convener of BNP, Senior Joint Convener GK Gaus, said Masuk Ali, Officer-in-Charge of Habiganj police station. In the cases on Thursday allegations of obstructing government duty, use of bricks and local arms to attack police, breaking windows of municipal and district council building, vandalizing police vehicles, blocking roads were brought against the BNP leaders and activists, said OC Masuk. Also read: Attack on rally: BNP demands withdrawal of Habiganj SP, 2 OCs GK Gaus, Senior Joint Convener of BNP said, “Police vandalized our stage and now they are harassing us by filling false cases.” On Wednesday, witnesses said police prevented BNP leaders and activists from setting up a stage for their scheduled rally and blocked the road in front of the house of central BNP leader GK Gaus in Shaistanagar area of the city since morning. As the leaders and activists of the party and associate bodies gathered in the district town and tried to go to the rally venue, police obstructed them, triggering a clash. The BNP activists threw stones towards police forcing them to charge batons, lob teargas shells and fire several rounds of bullets, to bring the situation under control. Also read: BNP activists clash with police in Habiganj At one stage, police were forced to retreat for some time in the face of strong resistance by a huge number of BNP protesters. Amid a chase and counter-chase, senior BNP leaders, including standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, chairperson’s adviser Zainul Abedin Farroque and organizing secretary Skahwat Hossain Jibon addressed the rally. At least four police personnel were reportedly injured in the attack and received treatment at Habiganj Sadar Hospital.