BNP leaders vow to stand ground
They get attacked for sixth consecutive day
Amid frequent attacks on their protest programmes, the BNP leaders and activists have vowed not to leave the streets this time.
On August 22, the BNP started its fresh series of countrywide programmes. They have been attacked, either by the police and the ruling party men, every day.
The attacks were made even after the prime minister on August 14 said the opposition should be allowed to protest and not be harassed.
"I want them to protest. I have given strict orders that no one should be arrested. If they want to besiege the Prime Minister's Office, let them do that," Sheikh Hasina said that day.
The situation, however, is the oppositive of what the prime minister said, alleged the leaders of the BNP.
Most of the BNP men, attending programmes protesting the price hike in fuel and daily essentials, have come under attack, if not sued or arrested since August 22, they said.
"Our immediate target is to organise people and strength the grassroots, but our ultimate goal is to force the government to resign and hold a free and fair election under a non-partisan government," said BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan.
The prime minister may be the source of all power but the police and her party men are not paying any heed to her instructions, he added.
"Either she [Hasina] did not mean what she said [about not harassing the opposition] or police and her party men act as per the instructions of others," Nazrul said.
The BNP will take the protest programmes to village and union levels, he added.
ALL THE CLASHES
At least 30 people, including four policemen, were injured as the activists of the Awami League and the BNP locked in a clash in Noakhali's Sonaimuri yesterday afternoon.
Sonaimuri BNP Convener Motaher Hossain Manik alleged that the ruling party men attacked them when they were holding a rally.
Crude bombs were also hurled during the attack, he added.
Harun Or Rashid, officer-in-charge of Sonaimuri Police Station, said the law enforcers swiftly brought the situation under control.
The attack was nothing but a drama staged by the ruling party men and police to spread fear among the BNP leaders, said Manik.
Meanwhile, in Jashore, the activists of the ruling party and the BNP got involved in a chase-counter chase in Rupdia Bazar area.
Jubo Dal activist Afzal Hossain was abducted during the clash, alleged BNP leaders.
Police and the Awami League refused to talk about the "abduction".
At a press conference, BNP Khulna Divisional Organising Secretary Anindya Islam Amit said a rally was held at Kachua union in Jashore as part of their series of programmes.
After the rally, as the BNP procession reached Rupdia Bazar, local Awami League leaders threw brick chunks and attacked the procession with sharp weapons and sticks. BNP leader Syed Hossain Palash, 32, was injured in the clash, he said.
Early yesterday, ruling party men attacked and vandalised the houses of the top four leaders of district BNP, alleged local BNP leaders.
District Awami League President Shahidul Islam, however, refuted the allegations.
In Magura, the BNP and the Jubo League-Chhatra League supporters clashed, chased each other and threw brick chunks, leaving at least 10 injured.
Seven motorcycles were set on fire.
Eyewitnesses said the leaders and activists of the BNP gathered in front of the upazila parishad around 3:00pm for their scheduled protest programme.
Jubo League-Chhatra League men were passing the area in procession and a clash broke out.
In Khulna, two BNP offices were vandalised by Jubo League leaders and activists yesterday afternoon, reports our correspondent.
In Khalishpur, a chase-counter chase took place between the two parties around 5:00pm.
In Munshiganj, hours after BNP men being beaten up by the ruling party men, a case was filed against 41 BNP leaders and activists, and 250 unnamed people with Sreenagar Police Station.
Meanwhile, police filed three cases accusing 56 BNP leaders including South district BNP former president Jafrul Islam Chowdhury, convener Abu Sufian and 1,000 unnamed BNP men in connection with Friday's clash during a protest rally, said SM Arifur Rahman, inspector (investigation) of Banshkhali Police Station.