Countrywide Agitation: BNP activists, cops clash, 40 hurt in Khulna

On the first day of the countrywide demonstrations of the BNP yesterday, violence erupted in Khulna city where at least 40 people were injured in a clash between police and BNP men.

The party yesterday held rallies in 27 districts and cities, including Dhaka.

The clash took place near Khulna Press Club and adjoining areas around 4:00pm when BNP men were gathering there to join a party programme.

BNP leaders said they were holding a rally on the club premises to press home their 10-point demand, including theresignation of the government and holding the next national polls under a non-partisan government.

Witnesses said the clash broke out when a procession of BNP activists was heading to the rally.

Police charged truncheons on the BNP men, and fired tear gas shells and shotguns to disperse them.

The BNP men hurled brick chunks at the law enforcers.

Shafiqul Islam Tuhin, member secretary of Khulna city unit BNP, alleged that without any provocation, police attacked the party men to foil their programme.

He said more than 30 of their men were injured in the clash, and 10 were detained by police. "The injured were hospitalised."

Tajul Islam, deputy commissioner (south) of Khulna Metropolitan Police, said there was a pre-scheduled programme of BNP in the banquet hall inside the press club.

But a group of BNP men sat in front of the club, blocking traffic. When police asked them to leave, they attacked the law enforcers, who fired tear gas shells and shotguns in self-defence, he said.

"Eleven police personnel were injured."

Meanwhile, at therally in Dhaka, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the time of the Awami League government is over, no matter how many countries Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visits and what she says.

He called upon the law enforcers to play a neutral role as the country's people and the democratic world want a credible national election in Bangladesh under a caretaker government.

The BNP leader urged the government to take steps to free people from "misrule" and accept their demand for holding the next polls under a non-party caretaker government before time runs out.

As part of its countrywide programme, BNP's Dhaka North City unit organised the rally at Shyamoli Club playground.

The party also held rallies protesting the filing of "fictitious" cases against opposition leaders and activists, soaring prices of essentials, and frequent power cuts.

Fakhrul alleged that people are suffering from shortages of power, gas, and water, though the government has been repeatedly hiking prices of the utility services.

He said people are struggling to survive as prices of all the daily necessities, including rice, oil, egg, salt, sugar, onion, garlic, and ginger, have increased two to threefold.

The BNP leader said Hasina and her party leaders cannot sense the pulse of people as they have gotten isolated.

He alleged that the government is now using "false and ghost" cases against the opposition leaders and activists as a last resort to clinging to power at the fag end of its rule.

Fakhrul slammed the ruling party leaders for their comments that the caretaker government system has already gone to its grave.

"We want to make it clear that the people of this country will not accept any election without a caretaker government."

He asked the law enforcers not to play a biased role as the current government has lost support both at home and abroad.

The demonstrations will also be held today and on May 26 and 27.