10 people killed as anti-Modi protesters & police-BGB clash

Brahmanbaria, March 28 – At least five people were killed and around 50 others, including 25 police members, injured in clashes between law enforcers and locals during demonstrations at Nandanpur in Sadar Upazila on Saturday. On Friday four protesters were killed in Hathazari and another in Brahmanbaria. They staged the demonstrations against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh and chanted various slogans against his visit.
Police and witnesses said a group of activists of Hefazat-e-Islam took position on Dhaka-Sylhet Highway in the Nandanpur area in the afternoon and started demonstrating right there against Modi’s visit and the killing of people in Brahmanbaria and Chittagong on Friday.
The clash began as the members of the police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) tried to disperse them.
Hearing the news of the clash, local people also joined the demonstrations and attacked the law enforcers, forcing them to fire several rounds of bullet, leaving many people injured.
Scores of injured people were taken to Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital, said Rana Nurus Shams, resident medical officer (RMO) of the hospital.
He said they have so far declared five of the injured died.
Four of the dead were identified as workshop owner Juru Alam, 35, day-labourers Badal Mia, 24, Sujon Mia, 22, and plumber Kausar, 25.
The identity of another dead could not be known yet. – UNB
Earlier on Friday UNB reported, four people were killed and at least 20 others were injured as Hefazat-e Islam activists clashed with police in Chattogram’s Hathazari Upazila in the afternoon. Another man was killed in Brahmanbaria.
Three of the deceased – Shirajul Islam, Robiul Hasan and Jamil Hasan – were students of Hathazari Madrasa while the fourth victim, Abdullah, was a local resident, said Alauddin Talukdar, assistant sub-inspector of Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) police outpost.
Clashes erupted when madrasa students demonstrated after Jum’a prayers protesting against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh to join celebrations of the country’s golden jubilee and the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Hundreds of protestors pelted brick chips at the Hathazari Police Station after police asked them to return to the madrasa. Hefazat supporters attacked the police station and vandalised it, said Officer-in-Charge Rafiqul Islam.
Hathazari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ruhul Amin said Hefazat activists attacked the land office and vandalised it too. They set fire to a vehicle belonging to the land office. They also broke in and vandalised the post bungalow of the Upazila.
Police initially fired tear shells to disperse the protesters. But as the situation got out of control, police fired live rounds during the hourlong clash, injuring at least nine protesters. A number of others were injured in the clash.
The wounded were taken to CMCH where doctors pronounced four of them dead. – UNB