Staff Reporter :
At least 50 pro-BNP lawyers were injured in a clash with the police on Tuesday in Dhaka judge court area.
Eyewitnesses said the police attacked the lawyers when they tried to brought out a rally demanding the release of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, restoration of democracy in the country, the establishment of voting rights and the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Female lawyers also alleged that some of their colleagues were molested by the police during the clash.
However, the pro-BNP lawyers tried to block the main road with their procession under the banner of ‘United Lawyers Front’ in the evening defying police interception.
The incident took place around 11:30 am on Tuesday.
The injured lawyers received first aid at the Dhaka Bar Association Office and others were sent to different city hospitals.
Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Bangladesh Sammilita Peshajibi Parishad have condemned the brutal attack by the police on the lawyers.
“The government has turned the country into a police state.
We demand exemplary punishment of those police who are involved in attacking the innocent lawyers,” the BNP Secretary General said.
Lawyer Mahbubur Rahman Khan, who received injury in the incident, alleged that police beat them up mercilessly without any instigation. Around 50 lawyers, including him, sustained injuries in the attack.
Another lawyer, Humayun Kabir, said that the lawyers gathered on the Dhaka Bar Association office premises in the morning to attend a pre-scheduled programme of Dhaka Bar Association.
When they approached the main road at one stage, the police suddenly beat them up without any provocation.
Barrister Qaiser Kamal, Legal Affairs Secretary of BNP said, “It was our pre-announced program.
We were carrying out the programme peacefully.
On the orders of the Prime Minister, the Law Minister and the Attorney General, the police attacked the lawyers without any provocation.
This attack is not only an attack on the lawyers, but an attack on the rule of law and human rights.
We demand exemplary punishment for these attackers.”
Advocate Gazi Quamrul Islam Sajal, General Secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Unit of the Nationalist Lawyers Forum, said that the white-clothed police attacked them suddenly.
At least 25 of their female lawyers were severely beaten and injured. They also molested women lawyers, he alleged.
The female lawyers alleged that several women lawyers were molested. Around 25 female lawyers are injured including Supreme Court lawyer Shaheen Sultana Khuki, Advocate Hashemi, Advocate Lucky and Advocate Marzia Hira.
“Before going from Dhaka Bar to the road in front of National Medical College and Hospital, the male policemen beat and suddenly charged with batons on us.
At this time, male policemen molested women lawyers.
According to the rules, women policemen will take action in case of women.
But instead of doing that, plainclothes policemen molested us.
At this time, she said with crying that is it a crime to march? We are lawyers, we want justice,” Shahin Sultana Khuki told reporters.
However, the police denied the allegations of molestation and said that lawyers were asked not to go on the street with rally.
Later, Jainul Abedin, former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association and vice chairman of BNP, visited the spot.
He demanded a fair investigation and action against those involved in the attack on the BNP-leaning lawyers.
However, Shahinur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said the lawyers, under the banner of United Lawyers Front, brought out a procession and attempted to block the adjacent main road.
The policemen repeatedly requested them to hold a rally on the court premises, but they did not pay heed to the request, rather hurled brickbats in return, the OC claimed, adding it forced the cops to chase them in self defense.
OC Shahinur ruled out the allegation of charging batons on the lawyers.
He, instead, claimed that four policemen received injuries in the attack carried out by the lawyers.
