55 injured in Ctg BNP-police clash

Staff Reporter :
A series of clashes between police and BNP leaders and workers erupted on Monday in Chattogram when the opposition was holding its pre-scheduled protest rally, leaving 55 people injured.
On the other hand, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) from Dhaka announced nationwide fresh protest rally on January 25 as part of its simultaneous movement with other like-minded political party alliances to press home their 10-point demand including resignation of the ruling Awami League government.
While addressing a rally in front of BNP party headquarters at Nayapaltan, Standing Committee Member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain announced the new programme to be held in metropolitan and district levels on January 25.
From the countrywide protest rallies, BNP demanded immediate resignation of the government and to dissolve the Parliament and protested the price hike of electricity and failure of the government to control the prices of daily essential items.
The central leaders said that they would overthrow the government through their peaceful rallies and programmes as the people have woke up against the government.
Meanwhile, in Chattogram, BNP leaders and activists locked in a series of clashes with the police when they were holding their pre-announced protest rally at the city’s Kazir Dewri area on Monday afternoon.
Eye witnesses and police sources said that BNP leaders and workers were gathering in front of their party office at Nasimon Bhaban to hold their protest rally.
When a procession was approaching the party office, brickbats were hurled at the police who were deployed there to maintain law and order. The police then stepped back to the Shishu Park and fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells.
The BNP men began to run to and fro and at one stage, the agitated activists torched a motorcycle parked in front of a police box.
City Police Deputy Commissioner (South) Mostafizur Rahman said that BNP workers hurled brickbats at the police without any reason. They torched a police vehicle and some of the policemen were injured. Police detained some 20 BNP men from the spot.
Chattogram City BNP Member Secretary Abul Hashem said that none of their party men attacked police, rather police chased their activists and fired blank shots. Some 20 BNP men were injured, he claimed.
Earlier, as part of the pre-announced programme, BNP leaders and activists in Nayapaltan protested the price hike of electricity and voiced their 10-point demand.
Leaders and workers swarmed the party office, stretching from the Nightingale intersection to the Fakirapool area. The adjacent road was blocked for traffic due to the huge gathering.
Addressing the rally, Khandaker Mosharraf said, “The government does not care about rules and regulations, and caused public sufferings by increasing the prices of electricity.”
He said the price of electricity was Tk 2.60 per unit during the BNP regime which has now reached Tk 11 per unit.
“The government is smuggling money in the name of generating electricity through quick rental power plants. The ruling party is cutting the pockets of the people in the name of paying capacity charges for electricity production,” he added.
He further said the Bangladesh Bank has now been forced to disclose that Tk 10,00,000 crore was siphoned off the country in the last 10 years.
BNP Chairperson’s Adviser Aman Ullah Aman presided over the rally, while, among others, Standing Committee Members Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and BNP Vice Chairman Dr Zahid Hossain, were present.
However, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and a Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas could not attend the rally as they were admitted to a city hospital on Sunday owing to ailing health.
As part of the simultaneous movement, other opposition political parties under the banners of various alliances held protest rallies in different areas of the capital and elsewhere in the country.
Leaders and activists of Ganatantra Mancha staged a demonstration in front of the Jatiya Press Club protesting the electricity price hike.
Liberal Democratic Party leaders and workers demonstrated in front of their party office in the East Panthapath and brought out a procession marching to Malibag intersection.