Like-minded parties join BNP’s showdown

The BNP and like-minded political parties have begun their simultaneous demonstrations with the former organising a large procession in the capital yesterday afternoon.

Activists of the like-minded parties also organised processions in different parts of the city.

The BNP and the other parties announced that they would hold a sit-in programme on January 11 in Dhaka and the other divisional cities to press home their 10-point demand that includes the government's resignation and the next general election under a non-partisan interim government.

In Mouchak and Paltan areas yesterday, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells to disperse Jamaat processions.

Police detained 11 peopleuntil the evening and said 10 policemen were injured in the clashes.

The BNP held a rally in Nayapaltan before the procession. BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said the sit-in demonstrations would be held for four hours.

"This government will be ousted through a mass uprising. It is not possible to stop our movement with attacks."

The programme in Dhaka will be held in front of the BNP's Nayapaltan headquarters.

BNP leaders said  the programme was announced on January 11 keeping in mind the incident of January 11, 2007.

BNP's procession started around 3:30pm from Nayapaltan and ended at Moghbazar intersection around 5:30pm. The party's standing committee member Goyeshwar Chandra Roy delivered the windup speech at Moghbazar intersection.

The BNP also held a procession in Rangpur city.

At the Nayapaltan rally, Mosharraf said BNP's peaceful demonstrations, joined by tens of thousands of people, were lauded locally and internationally.

"This government will be ousted through a mass uprising. It is not possible to stop our movement with attacks," he said, adding that programmes to unseat the government will be announced in phases.

Although the rally was scheduled to start at 2:00pm, BNP leaders and activists started gathering in Nayapaltan in the morning. By 12:00pm, the whole area was filled with the BNP supporters.

The head of the procession reached Kakrail intersection around 3:30pm. Hundreds upon hundreds of activists kept marching and the tail end of the procession could not be seen in Kakrail until 6:00pm.

Many of the activists were holding the national flag and their party flag. Others were holding pictures of arrested leaders and activists.

A huge number of law enforcers were deployed in Fakirapool and Moghbazar areas. Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), water cannons and prison buses were seen in large numbers.

The ruling Awami League leaders and activists took positions at different points of the capital including Shahbagh. The AL said their programme was to protest against the arson attacks and violence by BNP-Jamaat men.

JAMAAT-POLICE CLASHES

The clashes took place as police intercepted Jamaat processions after Juma prayers in Mouchak and Paltanareas.

Witnesses said a procession was coming towards Mouchak intersection from Malibagh level crossing when police stopped the activists and snatched away their banners.

"A group of people under the Jamaat-Shibir banner attacked police just after Juma prayers," said Shah Mahmud, additional deputy commissioner of New Market Division, adding police then drove them away.

In Paltan, witnesses said a group of people were chanting slogans in an alley across the Baitul Mukarram mosque after Juma prayers when police fired bullets to disperse the crowd and detained a few men.

Salahuddin Mia, officer-in-charge of Paltan Police Station, said, "We dispersed the crowd and detained three men."

Besides, Ganatantra Mancha activists marched on Topkhana road near Jatiya Press Club while activists of Jatiyatabadi Samamona Dal, a 12-party alliance and the LDP also organised processions in the capital.