BNP, AL men clash in Dhaka’s Mirpur
Leaders and activists of BNP and Awami League locked into a clash in Dhaka's Mirpur area this afternoon, leaving several people injured.
Police personnel had to fire numerous tear shells to disperse them.
Witnesses said the clash started in different areas of Mirpur including section 2, 6 and 11 after BNP men gathered there to stage protest around 1:30pm.
Leaders and activists of local AL, Chhatra League and Jubo League, wielding sticks, chased the BNP men who retaliated with throwing brick chips, triggering the clash, they said.
Iqbal Hossain, former assistant secretary of Dhaka North Unit BNP, said leaders and activists of AL, BCL and Jubo League men attacked them as they were gathering to hold a prescheduled demonstration programme in Mirpur area in the afternoon.
On September 10, BNP announced to hold demonstration at 16 places in Dhaka today in Mirpur area, protesting increase in price of daily essentials, fuel and killing of party men during the recent protest in Bhola and Narayanganj.
Jamal Hossain, a tea stall shop owner in Mirpur 10 area, said a group of around 400 BNP men were marching in the area chanting anti-government slogans. Suddenly, AL men appeared the scene and chased them.
A chase and counter chase took place between the two groups, spreading panic and halting transport movement in the area.
Later, the clash spread to Mirpur's section: 2, 6 and 11, witnesses said.
Anwar Hossain Raja, executive member of Dhaka North City unit Swechchhasebak League, said they came to know that BNP men were giving provocative speech from a rally in Mukul Fouz field near Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard.
"As we brought out a procession, protesting BNP's instigating speech, they started throwing brick chips on us. They first attacked us," he claimed.
Visiting the spot around 3:30pm, this correspondent found that BNP men left the area but BCL and Jubo League men on around 100 bikes were staging showdown on the nearby streets.
One of the bikers said they are on the streets so than BNP men cannot carry out any sabotage in the name of protest.
Additional police personnel were deployed at different points.
Our correspondent tried but could not contacts any police officials for comments immediately.