Dhaka – Two people were killed in the capital and scores of others injured in separate incidents of violence over the opposition’s ‘March
for Democracy’ programme across the country on Sunday.
A Railway Nirapatta Bahini (RNB) member, Abul Kashem, 30, was killed in a bomb attack at Kamalapur Railway Station in the afternoon.
Two youths carrying the bomb were also injured in the blast.
Officer-in-charge of Kamalapur Government Railway Police Station Abdul Mazid said two youths — Alam, 18, son of late Faizul Karim of
Shahjahanpur Railway Colony, and Aminul, 16, a garment worker and son of Alauddin –- hurled the bomb at Kashem around 3pm, killing the RNB
member on the spot and injuring Alam and Aminul themselves.
Meanwhile, a leader of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, was killed in police firing during a clash between
18-party activists and police in Malibagh Bazar area in the afternoon.
The deceased was identified as Mansur Ahmed, 21, president of ward No 3 unit of Shibir in the city and son of Razzaque Ali of Sadar upazila
in Chandpur.
Besides, at least six pro-opposition lawyers were injured was law enforcers and Awami League activists attacked them on the Supreme
Court premises.
Witnesses said a group of SC lawyers, led by Khandaker Mahbub Hossain,
adviser to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia and vice-chairman of Bangladesh Bar Council, brought out a procession on the Supreme Court premises
around 11:30am, to attend the ‘March for Democracy’ programme.
As they were trying to come out of the court premises, police fired teargas shells and sprayed water from water cannon to foil the
procession. Later, the lawyers took shelter in the Bar Council Bhaban.
When the lawyers tried again to gather in front of the Supreme Court main gate, police charged a sound grenade, leaving lawyers Abu Jafar
Sheikh Manik, Nazrul Islam Pappu and Imran injured.
Police again sprayed boiled water from water cannon to disperse the lawyers while holding a rally in the Supreme Court Bar Bhaban around 3
pm.
Later, a group of 150-200 ruling party activists wielding sticks stormed into the SC compound breaking open the main gate and started
beating up BNP and Jamaat-backed lawyers, leaving three of them injured.
The attackers also set fire to a motorcycle there.
On the other hand, activists of Awami League and its front organisations hurled brickbats at pro-BNP journalists on the Jatiya
Press Club premises around 12pm.
The pro-BNP journalists were holding a rally ahead of joining the BNP-announced ‘March for Democracy’.
The activists of AL, Chhatra League and Jubo League hurled the brick chips from a procession while it was passing by the Press Club.
Pro-opposition teachers of Dhaka University were manhandled by the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League and Jubo League near the High
Court in the afternoon.
Prof Dr Mamun Ahmed, a teacher loyal to BNP, told UNB that they were going to BNP’s Nayapaltan central office in a procession to join the
opposition’s March for Democracy.
In Sherpur, unidentified miscreants torched the election office in Sadar upazila in the early hours.
At least 75 people were injured as the activists of the BNP-led 18-party alliance clashed with cops in Noakhali, Jhenidah and Rangpur
districts.
Meanwhile, over 300 leaders and activists of the BNP-led 18-party alliance, including BNP leader Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed and BNP
chairperson Khaleda Zia’s adviser Inam Ahmed Chowdhury, were arrested at different places across the country from Saturday night to Sunday
evening. – UNB
