Dhaka – Police swung into action on pro-BNP lawyers and journalists in the city as they were trying to march towards BNP’s Nayapaltan central office to join the opposition’s ‘March for Democracy’ rally on Sunday, leaving a man injured. Barrister Ruhul Kuddus Kajal, a Pro-BNP leader of Bangladesh Bar Council, 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 in a procession, police fired teargas shells and sprayed water from water cannon to foil the procession. Later, the lawyers took shelter at 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 Abu Jafar Sheikh Manik, a journalist of ‘Dainik Ghoshona’, injured,
Lawyers were trying to bring out the procession till filing of the report at 12:10pm.
Meanwhile, activists of Awami League and its front organisations hurled brickbats at pro-BNP journalists on the premises of the Jatiya Press Club at about 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.
Earlier, a group of BNP minded journalists led by Ruhul Amin Gazi, President of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists gathered on the Jatiya Press Club premises.
The law enforcers prevented the journalists at 11:30am when they tried to come out from the premises of the National Press Club to join the BNP’s programme.
At one stage, pro-BNP and pro-AL journalists has a scuffle on Press Club premises.
Police detained a person from the scene.
Meanwhile, police arrested three leaders of Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal, the women wing of BNP, in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.
The arrestees were identified as Rowshan Ara Farid, a former MP, Sadia Ahmed Talukdar and Jannatul Ferdous.
Besides, police detained several people from Nayapaltan area in the morning.
Besides, security has been tightened again around Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan residence on Sunday morning in an apparent move to prevent her from joining the Nayapaltan programme.
Police sources and around eight platoons of police have been deployed in front of the opposition leader’s house.
The law enforcers have put barricades on two sides of the road in front of Khaleda’s residence. – UNB
