Clashes with Cops, AL: About 11,000 BNP men sued in eight districts
About 11,000 leaders and activists of the BNP and its front organisations were sued yesterday in 16 cases filed in Dhaka and seven other districts over clashes between supporters of the opposition party and Awami League and police personnel.
The clashes took place during the BNP's road march on Tuesday demanding resignation of the government and general election under a non-party government.
A Krishak Dal activist was killed and over 350 activists of the BNP and its front bodies were injured in the clashes in Laxmipur, Dhaka's Mirpur, Bogura, Kishoreganj, Khagrachhari, Pirojpur, Feni and Joypurhat. Around 70 police personnel and 40 AL activists were also wounded.
Sajeeb Hossain, who was hacked to death during a clash between BNP supporters and police in Laxmipur, was buried at his family graveyard in Chandraganj of Laxmipur.
Before that, a gayebana janaza (funeral in absentia) of the deceased was held at the home of BNP leader Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie in Laxmipur town. BNP leaders alleged that they wanted to hold a namaz-e-janaza of Sajeeb, but police didn't allow them and sent the body to his home in Nurullapur village.
Sajeeb's grandfather Hanif Mia, a member of ward-8 BNP at Chandraganj union of Laxmipur Sadar upazila, said his grandson joined the road march with him in Laxmipur town.
"Chhatra League activists attacked Sajeeb and hacked him to death. I want justice for my grandson," he told The Daily Star.
Sajeeb's elder brother Sujan filed a case last night accusing some unnamed people of the murder.
Family members said Sajeeb, 30, was scheduled to go abroad within a few days. His elder brother Mizanur Rahman, an expatriate in Saudi Arabia, had made all arrangements for his sibling's trip.
His family is torn by grief.
Laxmipur Superintendent of Police Mahfuzzaman Ashraf said, "Before dying, Sajeeb spoke to a man who told the police that he didn't join the BNP's programme. Four to five people, who lent him some money, hacked him."
Three cases were filed with Laxmipur Sadar Model Police Stations last night over Tuesday's clashes.
Sub-Inspector (SI) Anisuzzaman of Laxmipur Sadar Model Police Station filed one of the cases accusing 30 named and 2,000 unnamed persons on charges of carrying out subversive activities. SI Mozzammel Haque filed another case against 25 named and 1,500 unnamed people over assaulting police.
Local AL leader Nurul Amin Raju sued 250 unnamed people in another case over vandalising his home and a vehicle during the BNP's road march.
Rubel Hossain, a student of Government Bangla College in Dhaka, and Mohidur Rahman, a staff of the college, filed two cases with Darussalam Police Station yesterday against 229 named BNP leaders and activists and around 1,000 unnamed others.
According to the case statements, the accused attacked Rubel and some other college students, set a motorcycle on fire and vandalised the college's gate.
Police arrested 18 of the accused, said Aminul Bashar, officer-in-charge of Darussalam Police Station.
An SI filed a case against 80 named and 300 unnamed BNP leaders and activists with Pirojpur Sadar Police Station over Tuesday's clash between police and the opposition party men in the district town.
Police have picked up 15 of the accused, said the OC of the police station.
In Feni, two cases were lodged with Feni Model Police Station by an SI against 176 named and 4,000 unnamed people over the clash between BNP activists and police on Tuesday.
One of the cases was filed under the Explosives Substances Act and the other on charges of attacking police and obstructing their work.
District BNP Convener Sheikh Farid Bahar and Member Secretary Alal Uddin are among the accused.
Kishoreganj Model Police Station SI Fazlur Rahman sued 19 named and 70 unnamed BNP leaders and activists over Tuesday's clash between police and the opposition party men in the district town's Rothkhola area. The suspects were accused of attacking police and obstructing their work.
The clash left more than 50 BNP men injured.
In Joypurhat, 197 people were sued by police and Joypurhat district Chhatra League President Md Raza with Joypurhat Sadar Police Station.
Four cases were filed in Bogura against 211 BNP leaders and activists and many other unidentified people over Tuesday's clashes in the district town.
Police filed three of the cases with Bogura Sadar Police Station while the other one was lodged by a bus owner with Dupchanchia Police Station on charges of assaulting police, vandalising a police station, exploding crude bombs and vandalising vehicles.
Police have so far arrested five of the accused, including Bogura district BNP General Secretary Ali Azgar Talukdar Hena.
In Khagrachhari, police filed a case against 850 leaders and activists of the BNP and its front organisations with Khagrachhari Sadar Police Station over Tuesday's clashes between the supporters of the BNP and AL and police personnel.
SI Minhazul Abedin of the police station lodged the case against 150 named and about 700 unnamed people accusing them of attacking police and obstructing their work.
Police arrested 15 of the accused till last night.
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