Spurred by ceaseless provocations by ministers and top party leaders, the attack on Khaleda Zia’s motorcade on Monday was aimed at assasinating her, says Emajuddin Ahmed, convenor of ‘Adarsh Dhaka’, a forum campaigning for BNP-supported candidates in the Apr 28 city polls.
“The attack was planned to kill Khaleda. Bullets were fired at the part of the vehicle where Khaleda was sitting. Luckily, it was a bullet-proof vehicle,” said Ahmed, a former vice-chancellor of the Dhaka University.
Khaleda’s motorcade came under attack at Kawran Bazar on Monday evening when she was campaigning for Tabith Awal, the BNP-supported mayor candidate for Dhaka North corporation.
After she finished speaking, a section of those gathered started jeering at Khaleda , even as brickbats from nearby buildings were lobbed at the motorcade.
That left some security personnel of Khaleda and a personal secretary injured.
The brickbats shattered the glass on one side of the car, even as some stick-wielding men attacked the motorcade.
The BNP has called a whole-day strike across the nation, except in Dhaka and Chittagong, to protest against the attack.
But Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has described the Kawran Bazar mayhem as a ‘stage-managed drama’.
State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal earlier claimed, “The fact that Khaleda Zia’s motorcade was attacked is not totally true.
“Businessmen who suffered during the 92 days of BNP agitation were upset when Khaleda Zia went there. Trouble erupted when her security personnel pounced on them.”
An Awami League leader has already filed a case against BNP activists and security staff of Khaleda.
Emajuddin was critical of the incident.
“Such incidents only eight days before the vote will destroy healthy poll environment.
“I believe the government should have been distressed by this incident. Instead, the ruling party has filed cases in a bid to destroy the poll environment,” he said.
He quoted media reports and said one of the attackers had been identified as an Awami League man.
“But the prime minister claimed this was a drama. This is disheartening.”
Emajuddin urged the EC to become vigilant about such incidents.
Source: Bd news24
