BNP tries to agitate under cop vigil

Staff Correspondent :

Police yesterday obstructed the main opposition BNP’s nationwide human chain programme triggering sporadic clashes, chases and counter chases between law enforcers and opposition activists that left one person dead.
The clashes and chases and counter chases in Naogaon, Khulna, Barisal, Jessore left more than 50 people injured during the hour-long programme from 11:00am.
Enamul Huq Omar, Jatiyatabadi Judo Dal leader of Naogaon, died allegedly due to police excess during opposition activists’ clash with police in the town.
Naogaon police, however, claimed that Omar died of cardiac arrest.
Khulna Sadar BNP unit President Yusuf Hossain Manju was critically wounded in an attack by ruling party cadres, sources claimed.
BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain accused the government for obstructing their “peaceful programme” and warned it of dire consequences. “Police barred our peaceful protest by charging truncheons and detaining activists. This is how the government is torturing the opposition,” he said.
At a press briefing at the party’s central office in Naya Paltan, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the government exposed its “fascist and autocratic” character by obstructing and attacking the peaceful programme.
He claimed that at least 100 persons were arrested across the country.
BNP organised the human chain to protest the government “repression” on the opposition and demand unconditional release of leaders and workers of BNP and its front and associate bodies who were detained before and during the July 27 hartal. Mirza Abbas, Shamser Mobin Chowdhury and lawmaker Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee were among the arrestees.
Some leader of BNP alliance partners Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Oikya Jote, Bangladesh Jatiya Party, and Jagpa joined the human chain at Jatiya Press Club. No senior leaders of Jamaat were there.
Earlier, Jamaat formally announced that they would also form human chain along with BNP.
In the capital Dhaka, police did not allow the opposition activists even to stand on the side of the roads and in many places BNP workers were not seen at their predetermined spots.
Witnesses said low participation of party leaders and workers was a major reason behind the programme being unsuccessful.
Party leaders alleged that they were barred at different points, including the Jatiya Press Club, Farmgate, Ittefaq and Shapla intersection in Motijheel. They said police charged truncheons on them at Farmgate.
Party workers were trying to gather on roadsides in at least 15 places to form the human chain but police quickly dispersed them charging truncheons.
Several hundred opposition leaders and workers engaged in scuffles with police when they obstructed the programme at the Jatiya Press Club gate.
Aman Ullah Aman, Zainul Abdin Farroque, Abdul Mannan, Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan, Abdul Latif Nezami, Shafiul Alam Prodhan, and Shamim Al Mamun, were seen sitting in front of the main gate of the club from 11:00am after they faced police obstruction.
Syed Nurul Islam, ADC of Ramna Zone told reporters that police took necessary steps to ensure security of life and property.
Khandaker Delwar Hossain arrived at the press club around 11:15am. He was inside his car on the press club compound till 11:36am and then tried to form the human chain but police did not allow it. A few minutes later Delwar backtracked due to his illness.
A group of BNP-backed lawyers, led by Supreme Court Bar Council President Khandker Mahbub Hossain, former speaker Jamiruddin Sircar, and former minister Aminul Haque, formed a human chain in front of the Supreme Court but police cordoned them off.
Police snatched the banner from BNP workers led by standing committee member Rafiqul Islam Mian at Technical intersection and at one stage they dispersed the opposition workers who later vandalised a vehicle.
Police picked up Juba Dal President Moazzem Hossain Alal from Asadgate area and later released him. Police, however, claimed that they did not pick up former lawmaker Alal.
A few BNP supporters led by Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir tried to form a human chain at Karwan Bazar but failed due to police obstruction. Police dispersed the workers charging truncheons.
Local Jubo Dal leader Enamul Haque alias Omar was killed yesterday morning during police excess on the human chain programme at Tezermore in Naogaon, reports our correspondent in Chapainawabganj.
Police chased BNP leaders and workers when they were forming a human chain, witnesses said.
Enamul along with others tried to escape but he fell on the road, they said.
Naogaon superintendent of police, however, said Enamul had died of cardiac arrest.
Later local BNP organised a protest rally and demanded punishment of the police officials “involved in the killing”.
Approximately eighteen persons were injured in an attack allegedly by a group of Jubo League and Chhatra League activists yesterday at a human chain programme in Khulna, our staff correspondent in Khulna reports.
Of the 18, Organising Secretary of Khulna upazila BNP unit Yusuf Harun Majnu, 38, sustained severe head injuries.
He was in a deep coma at the ICU (intensive care unit) of Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH). His hands and left leg were broken, doctors said.
Khulna city BNP President and lawmaker of Khulna-2 constituency Nazrul Islam Manju blamed Jubo League for the attack.
The city BNP unit will organise a rally today in protesting at the attack.
Six other injured were also admitted to KMCH.

Tags:  BNP tries to agitate under cop vigil, BNP's nationwide human chain programme