Anti-govt protests rock Dhaka
Staff Reporter :
The capital Dhaka was hit by fresh violence on Saturday, with anti-government protestors allegedly torching and vandalising vehicles during their clashes with members of law-enforcement agencies.
At least two persons including a police member and BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) activist have reportedly been killed during the violence in Dhaka.
Besides, several hundred people, including 41 cops and 20 newsmen have been injured in the clashes that took place centering main opposition BNP’s October 28 anti-government grand rally.
At the time, several vehicles including passengers’ buses and ambulance have been torched and vandalised in the capital’s Rajarbagh Police Lines Hospital, Kamalapur and Kakrail on Saturday.
According to sources, a police constable was killed in a clash with BNP activists at Dainik Bangla intersection in the capital.
After being injured in the clash on Saturday afternoon, he was rescued and rushed to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College & Hospital, where the on duty doctor declared him dead.
Police identified him as Parvez Mondol, a native of Manikganj’s Daulatpur. He was assigned to the Dainik Bangla intersection on Saturday, according to Inspector Bachchu Mia of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital police outpost.
Meanwhile, a BNP activist named Shamim Mollah died after allegedly being shot by police during a clash at Nayapaltan in the capital.
Shamim, son of Eusuf Mollah, was the union president under ward-7 of Mugda Thana Juba Dal, said the party’s acting general secretary Shafiqul Islam Milton while confirming the news of his death to the media on Saturday evening.
It was seen on the spots that clashes have erupted between the leaders and activists of BNP and police personnel in various parts of the capital on Saturday noon.
The clashes broke out in Kakrail, Nayapaltan, Bijoynagar, Malibag, Matsya Bhaban, Fakirerpoll and Arambag areas in the city after BNP suspended their rally around 2pm protesting police action.
In Paltan, leaders and activists of the Awami League have reportedly joined the police in a clash with BNP members.
At the time, Juba Dal President Sultan Salauddin Tuku and acting general secretary Shafiqul Islam Milton were injured in the clash.
The whole Kakrail-Nayapaltan area of the capital turned into a battle field as BNP and policemen locked into series of clashes in the noon.
BNP leaders and activists were dispersed and took shelter in different lanes as a result BNP’s grand rally at Nayapaltan was halted.
According to DMP, at least 41 police members were injured during the clash between BNP and police.
Of them, 22 are undergoing treatment at Central Police Hospital (CPH) in Dhaka’s Rajarbagh area and the remaining 19 are being treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
DMP’s (media and public relations) Deputy Commissioner Md Faruk Hossain confirmed the information to the media on Saturday (October 28) afternoon.
Many of the injured are in critical condition, Faruk said.
Besides, at least 20 newsmen were injured during a clash between police personnel and BNP men in the capital’s Kakrail area on Saturday noon. They went there to cover the event of BNP’s grand rally.
Among the injured newsmen are Maruf Hasan of Multi Media, Salman Tareq Shakil of Bangla Tribune, Jafor Ahmed of Banglanews, Rafsan Jani of Kalbela and Abu Saleh Musa of Multi Media.
During the clash, miscreants set fire to the vehicle of Somoy TV and a motorcycle of the Manobkantha.
In these issues, Additional Commissioner of Detective Branch (DB) Harun-or-Rashid said that some BNP activists attacked police in front of the Judges’ Residence Complex in Dhaka’s Kakrail on Saturday (28 October).
“Some policemen were injured. Furthermore, they carried out an attack, vandalised and set some vehicles on fire in front of IDB Bhaban at Kakrail,” he said while talking with reporters in front of Kakrail Church.
Meanwhile, eleven platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed in the capital to ensure security and maintain law and order situation.
They will be on duty today and tomorrow along with police to maintain law and order situation, Md Shariful Islam, public relations officer of BGB, told the media.
