Two pro-BNP sctovists were killed – two in Natore and one each in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj in clashes with Awami League activists and police on Monday Throughout the day, clashes, and detention of opposition activists continued across the country including the capital Dhaka creating panic among the people.
The BNP-Jamaat activists set fire to and vandalised a number of vehicles on the streets including motorbikes at different places in Dhaka city. They also exploded crude bombs targeting police and transports.
The leaders and activists of AL and its front organisations were seen to have taken position at different points in the city including Bangabandhu Avenue, Press Club, Motshya Bhaban, Nilkhet and Shantinagar but police was inactive to take any action against them as the DMP has imposed ban on holding rallies and processions.
- With white ribbon on head and sticks in hand Muktijoddha Projonma League members invaded the National Press Club on Monday
Police charged batons, lobbed tear shell canisters and open fire when BNP-Jamaat tried to bring out processions at different places including Platan, Bijoynagar, Mohakhali and Kuril Biswa Road.
The AL leaders however said that they took position on the streets to assist police in BNP-Jamaat try to create any anarchy and chaos in the city.
In Dhaka, Projonma League, an associate organisation of AL, activists entered Jatiya Press Club scaling its main gate and engaged in clashes with pro-BNP professionals leaving at least five persons injured.
Shawkat Mahmud and Abdul Hye Sikder alleged that people of Peshajibi Parisahd came under attack after a rally attended by BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
The BNP leader, who was staying in Press Club till the report was filing at 8:00pm, said the government has confined the people through its one-party rule; people want emancipation from this condition.
Pro-BNP lawyers also came under attack by Projonma League and police as they were staging demonstration in front of main gate of the Supreme Court.
Earlier, the pro-BNP lawyers brought out black flag procession in and around of the SC premises and vandalised car of a HC judge. A police personnel was injured in the lawyers attack.
Meanwhile, police arrested seven alleged BNP-Jamaat activists from front of the Anti-Corruption Commission office at Segunbagicha area in the city.
Eyewitness said, police arrested them around 3:pm. Their details identities could not be known immediately.
BNP-Jamaat activists blocked Nayapaltan road around 2:30pm but getting the information, police rushed to the spot. Later the protestors engaged in a clash with police leaving a sub-inspector injured. At one stage, BNP-Jamaat men set fire on two motorbikes. Additional forced rushed to the spot and detained six youths.
According to SI Rup Kumar Sarker of Wari Police Station, they arrested four youths from in front of Central Women College at Wari around 1:pm.
The arrested were identified as Ibrahim, Apu Islam, Shafiul and Masud.
We also seized two litters petrol and four crude bombs, he added.
Shibir activists engaged in clash with police at Kuril-Biswa road area around 11:30am leaving thirty people including police injured.
According to the eyewitness, around five hundred Shibir activists brought out procession ignoring the police restriction.
They chanted slogans against the government and at one stage , put barricaded on the road halting the vehicle movement.
Police suddenly started lobbing tear shells and opened fire but Shibir men also responded by throwing brickbats towards police personnel.
Thirty people including twenty five Shibir activists and one police were injured.
Police detained seven pedestrians from the spot in connection with clash .
Eyewitness claimed that local Jubo Legaue activists were also seen with police carrying country made weapons.
Police found 20 petrol bombs from a house in Gandaria in the city early yesterday.
The petrol bombs were found in an abandoned state from a building at Swamibagh around 6:45am, said Shahid Alam, officer-in-charge of Gendaria Police Station.
Police received a tip-off and conducted the raid. The house is owned by one Md Saleh. The petrol bombs were found from the sunset of the house, he said.
No arrests were made in this connection, but police already had names of some suspects responsible for the incident and were trying to arrest them.
The official did not disclose any further information.
Police fired on a procession of Jamaat at Bijoynagor area in the city around 12:15.
The procession led by Dhaka City Jamaat leader Professor Mokarrom Hossain Khan was marching and when it reached near Bijoynagor Culvert, police opened fire leaving one Jamaat activist bullet injured.
Protesting police firing, Jammat activists vandalised several vehicles and set fire on these.
AL activists allegedly set fire on local BNP office at Siddique Bazar around 3:pm.
Getting the information, two units of Fire Service and Civil Defense rushed to the spot and doused the fire, said Ataur Rahman, duty officer .
In Natore, Two activists of pro-BNP Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) were shot dead and 15 others injured when a procesion brought out by them came under attack by Awami League workers at Tebaria in the district town on Monday morning.
The deceased were identified as Raihan Hossain Rana, 26, son of Mithu of village Shudhipur under Atrai thana in Naogaon district and Rakibul Munshi, 25, son of Chand Munshi, of village North Tebaria under Natore Sadar thana.
Witnesses the ruling party men opened fire on the JCD workers as they brought out a procession in the area around 10:30 am as part of BNP alliance’s countrywide programmes to mark its ‘Democracy Killing Day’, leaving 17 activists injured.
The injured were taken to different hospitals and clinics. Of them, Rakib and Rana were rushed to Sadar Hospital where doctors declared them dead, said officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station Faridul Islam.
Additional police and members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) have been deployed in the area to fend off further trouble.
General Secretary of Natore district Awami League and local MP (Natore-2) Alhaj Shafiqul Islam Shimul said, that Rakibul was a Jubo League activist and his all family merbers are Awami League supporter.
General Secretary of Natore district BNP Alhaj Md. Aminul Hoque said, that two deceased Raihan Hossain Rana and Rakibul Islam Munshi were Chhatradal activists.
Officer-In-Charge of Natore thana Md. Faridul Islam told this correspondent that no case was filed with Natore thana till 6pm.
Protesting the killing, district BNP called a daylong hartal in Natore for Tuesday.
A report from Rajshahi says, a BNP activist was killed in a clash with police at Baneshawar bazaar under Puthia in the afternoon.
The deceased was identified as Majid Uddin, 42, from Maria village of Charghat upazila, senior ASP Mirza Golam Sarwar confirmed it.
Witnesses said BNP activists led by Charghat Upazila chairman Abu Syed Chand brought out a procession at Banasher Bazar area.
When police intercepted them, they came into a clash. Police in retaliation fired, leaving Majid dead on the spot and 30 others including journalist and police injured.
Protesting the incident, District BNP called day long hartal in the district.
In Chapainawabganj one person was killed while 14 others were injured in a fierce clash between the activists of BNP-Jamaat and law enforcing enforcers at Kansat under Shibganj upazila in the afternoon.
The deceased was identified as Jamshed Ali, 45, son of Montaj Ali of Shibnarayanpur village. The seriously injured Jamshed died on the way to Rajshahi Medical college hospital.
Witness said violating section 144, leaders and activists of 20 party alliance tried to take out a procession at Kansat at around 2:30 pm equipped with sticks and other weapons. At this, members of BGB and police led by an executive magistrate chased them.
As the 20 party men attacked the law enforcers with brick bats, sticks and threw crude bombs on them, the law enforcers fired bullets of shot gun and lobbed tear shells to disperse them, leaving three people including Jamshed seriously injured.
District BNP led 20 party called daylong hartal in the district.
In Chittagong, at least 30 people, including some cops and journalists, were injured in a clash between 20-party activists and police at Nur Ahmed road in the city.
Witnesses said a rally organised by city unit of BNP was underway in front of its Nasiman Bhaban office in the afternoon marking what the party says the “Democracy Killing Day”.
However, police swooped on the rally around 4pm to foil it. The activists of the BNP-led combine hurled brickbats at police, trigging a clash. They fought a pitched battle with the law enforcers when the entire area turned into a battle filed.
The clash also spilled over into Wasa intersection, Buddha Temple intersection, Cinema Palace, Ashkar Dighirpar, CRB, Almas Cinema intersection and Chatteshwari intersection.
Later, police lobbed teargas shells and fired bullets to disperse the activists. Police also detained 100 alliance activists from the spot and recovered 15 petrol bombs from under a truck which was being used as the podium of the rally, police said. The rally ground was littered with thousands of shoes and sandals when police drove away the 20-party activists.
Sporadic violence marked the day’s programme in Sylhet City and nearby areas during the celebration ‘Black Day of Democracy’ as part of the central program of BNP on January 5 during the first anniversary of ruling government of Bangladesh.
Defying the ban on any rally in Sylhet City imposed by the Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP), BNP Sylhet City and District units and its alliance members brought out several rallies in the city on Monday as part of the central program on the day while several clashes were occurred with police, 21 persons were arrested following the program of BNP in Sylhet City.
BNP men came into clash with police here in Dinajpur town as police prevented them from bringing out a procession on Monday afternoon.
Police fired at around 25 tear shells and rubber bullets to bring the situation under control.
Later, the BNP men went on rampage and damaged roadside shops, several banks and on rush vehicles in the Dinajpur town creating panic among the people. The incident took place at around 4.00pm.
In Bochaganj Awami League workers set fire to the BNP office in front of Setabganj Pilot Office at around 1.00pm. Leter fire fighters doused the fire. Again they also vandalised the Bochaganj upazila Jamaat office at Setabganj T&T road at around 1.30pm.
In Bhola, at least 30 people were injured in sporadic clashes among BNP, Awami League and police in different parts of the district throughout the day.
Yakub Shah Jewel, 28, a local leader of Swechchashebak Dal, received bullet injuries during the incident. Several vehicles were vandalised and a number of crude bombs were blasted at Bangla School intersection in the morning.
In Sunamganj, at least 10 people were injured in a clash between the activists of Awami League and BNP-led 20-party alliance at Old Court in the town.
In Satkhira, police arrested 50 BNP and Jamaat-Shibir activists from different parts of the district.
