Attack on Khaleda's Motorcade: AL, BNP blame each other

The Awami League and the BNP are at loggerheads over Saturday's attack on Khaleda Zia's motorcade in Feni, with each party pointing fingers at the other for the incident.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday alleged that “known criminals” of the ruling party carried out the pre-planned attack.

"The names and photographs of the criminals who attacked our chairperson's motorcade have been published in newspapers. It is now clear that Chhatra League and Awami League cadres had carried out the attack," he said, while visiting the journalists injured in the attack at a hotel in Chittagong.

Rizvi Ahmed, senior joint secretary general of BNP, at a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan office, blamed AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader for the attack.

“Obaidul Quader was the mastermind behind the attack,” he said.

But Obaidul Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, yesterday claimed the attack was staged by the BNP itself.

“They staged the drama themselves with their Chhatra Dal and Juba Dal men and now they are putting the blame on Chhatra League and Juba League activists," he told reporters at the secretariat.

“The BNP chairperson could have flown. But she decided to travel by road instead, perhaps to show the Awami League that she has public support. But when they realised that that was not the case, they planned the attack.

“Why would the Awami League attack journalists' cars?”

Immediately after the attack, Enamul Haq Shamim, AL's organising secretary for Chittagong Division, claimed that internal feuds in the BNP's Feni district unit led to the attack.

But Fakhrul said the comment was simply “irrelevant” as the media had reported who actually led the attack.

He added that denying facts was a crime and that AL should expel its activists rather than defending them.

Talking to The Daily Star, Rashed Khan Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Feni Model Police Station, said they did not receive any complaint regarding the matter.

Asked about the attack on vehicles carrying journalists, he said, “Police have started investigating the incident.”

Asked, SM Moniruzzaman, DIG of police (Chittagong range), told The Daily Star that they are trying to find out what had acutely happened.

Meanwhile, different professional bodies and political parties including Bikolpodhara Bangladesh, Krishok Sramik Janata League, Gono Forum, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rob) and Nagorik Oikya yesterday slammed the ruling party for the attack.

KHALEDA REACHES COX'S BAZAR

Amid the heated debate between the two archrivals, the BNP chairperson yesterday reached Cox's Bazar from Chittagong to distribute relief goods among Rohingyas.

She reached Cox's Bazar Circuit House around 8:30pm. Party leaders and activists accorded receptions at different points between Chittagong and Cox's Bazar.

It took her eight hours to travel 143km as thousands of BNP supporters stood by the sides of the highway to greet her.

Holding banners, placards and portraits of top leaders, the BNP activists chanted slogans as the motorcade inched forward.

People also stood on rooftops to wave at the vehicles.

Khaleda will return to Dhaka on Tuesday.