Police intercepted protesters at places and opened fire in Magura as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance on Saturday staged countrywide demonstrations to press for fresh polls under a non-party administration and ‘restoration’ of democracy and people’s voting rights.
At least three activists of BNP were wounded in police firing during demonstration in Magura. Ruling party men also vandalised shops, owned by opposition activists in the town.
The alliance went for a different form of protest for the first time amid a nonstop transport blockade it enforced on January 6 which so far left 92 people dead.
Activists of BNP and its major ally Jamaat-e-Islami were seen jointly taking part in demonstrations in the capital.
BNP joint secretary general Salah Uddin Ahmed on Friday announced the programme in all thanas, pourasavas, district towns and at wards of all divisional cities.
The alliance did not seek permission for demonstrations in the capital, the police said.
The alliance said they also registered protest against ‘killing and injuring many opposition leaders and activists in crossfire and police firing, mass arrest of alliance men, interference in the judiciary, violence against journalists and control on media.’
In the capital, the alliance staged demonstrations at least at 20 points, including Lalbagh, Airport area, Khilgaon, Pallabi, Sabujbagh, Malibagh, Lalbagh, Farmgate, Ramna, Mohammadpur, Demra, Babubazaar, Mohakhali, Motijheel, Jatrabari, Paltan and on the Dhaka University campus.
The demonstrations in the capital, however, were brief in fear of police action, said a BNP leader.
Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal brought out processions at Shahbagh, and in Central Saheed Minar area.
JCD joint secretary general Mizanur Rahman Sohagh, assistant organising secretary Amir Amzad Munna and Ashraf Faruqee led the demonstrations.
In Magura, three activists of Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal, BNP-backed youth organisation, were wounded when police opened fire on a demonstration at Simakhali of Shalikha upazila in the afternoon.
Shalikha upazila unit Juba Dal joint convener Mona Sarder told New Age that some 800 activists of the BNP-led alliance had started a ‘peaceful’ demonstration, but Shalikha police led by OC Biplab Kumar pounced on the protesters ‘without provocation’, leaving the three injured.
He said some 25 activists of the alliance were picked up from the spot.
Magura police superintendent Zihadul Kabir said BNP activists had attacked a police car carrying Shalikha police officer-in-charge Biplab Kumar, prompting them to fire seven rounds of bullet from rifles and shot guns to disperse the demonstrators around 5:00pm in Shimakhali.
BNP activist Khwaja was arrested during the trouble, he said.
New Age correspondent in Magura reported that ruling party men had vandalised and looted goods from at least five shops at Shimakhali bazaar, in the presence of police.
In Khulna, the BNP-led alliance held a peaceful rally in front of its city office in Dakbangla area before bringing out a procession, reported our correspondent. Several hundred alliance men joined the protest.
The demonstration was led by BNP central assistant organising secretary Nazrul Islam Monju, also president of its Khulna city unit.
In Gaibandha, police dispersed a procession after clashes with BNP activists, reported our correspondent.
Witnesses said the procession had started from press club area in the town but police intercepted them at Bakery intersection.
In Thakurgaon, BNP activists vandalised some buses after police intercepted their procession near its district unit office, reported our correspondent. Police arrested 26 people on the spot.
In Sylhet, the police dispersed a procession of the BNP-led alliance at Court Point around midday0, reported our correspondent.
In Munshiganj, police halted marchers in Old Bus Stand area after the alliance men brought out a procession from in front of the district BNP office, reported our correspondent.
Two more rallies were held at Sanbari on Dohar-Dhaka road.
Peaceful demonstrations were also staged in Chittagong, Rangpur, Rajshahi and Jhenaidah, reported our correspondents.
At least three activists of BNP were wounded in police firing during demonstration in Magura. Ruling party men also vandalised shops, owned by opposition activists in the town.
The alliance went for a different form of protest for the first time amid a nonstop transport blockade it enforced on January 6 which so far left 92 people dead.
Activists of BNP and its major ally Jamaat-e-Islami were seen jointly taking part in demonstrations in the capital.
BNP joint secretary general Salah Uddin Ahmed on Friday announced the programme in all thanas, pourasavas, district towns and at wards of all divisional cities.
The alliance did not seek permission for demonstrations in the capital, the police said.
The alliance said they also registered protest against ‘killing and injuring many opposition leaders and activists in crossfire and police firing, mass arrest of alliance men, interference in the judiciary, violence against journalists and control on media.’
In the capital, the alliance staged demonstrations at least at 20 points, including Lalbagh, Airport area, Khilgaon, Pallabi, Sabujbagh, Malibagh, Lalbagh, Farmgate, Ramna, Mohammadpur, Demra, Babubazaar, Mohakhali, Motijheel, Jatrabari, Paltan and on the Dhaka University campus.
The demonstrations in the capital, however, were brief in fear of police action, said a BNP leader.
Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal brought out processions at Shahbagh, and in Central Saheed Minar area.
JCD joint secretary general Mizanur Rahman Sohagh, assistant organising secretary Amir Amzad Munna and Ashraf Faruqee led the demonstrations.
In Magura, three activists of Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal, BNP-backed youth organisation, were wounded when police opened fire on a demonstration at Simakhali of Shalikha upazila in the afternoon.
Shalikha upazila unit Juba Dal joint convener Mona Sarder told New Age that some 800 activists of the BNP-led alliance had started a ‘peaceful’ demonstration, but Shalikha police led by OC Biplab Kumar pounced on the protesters ‘without provocation’, leaving the three injured.
He said some 25 activists of the alliance were picked up from the spot.
Magura police superintendent Zihadul Kabir said BNP activists had attacked a police car carrying Shalikha police officer-in-charge Biplab Kumar, prompting them to fire seven rounds of bullet from rifles and shot guns to disperse the demonstrators around 5:00pm in Shimakhali.
BNP activist Khwaja was arrested during the trouble, he said.
New Age correspondent in Magura reported that ruling party men had vandalised and looted goods from at least five shops at Shimakhali bazaar, in the presence of police.
In Khulna, the BNP-led alliance held a peaceful rally in front of its city office in Dakbangla area before bringing out a procession, reported our correspondent. Several hundred alliance men joined the protest.
The demonstration was led by BNP central assistant organising secretary Nazrul Islam Monju, also president of its Khulna city unit.
In Gaibandha, police dispersed a procession after clashes with BNP activists, reported our correspondent.
Witnesses said the procession had started from press club area in the town but police intercepted them at Bakery intersection.
In Thakurgaon, BNP activists vandalised some buses after police intercepted their procession near its district unit office, reported our correspondent. Police arrested 26 people on the spot.
In Sylhet, the police dispersed a procession of the BNP-led alliance at Court Point around midday0, reported our correspondent.
In Munshiganj, police halted marchers in Old Bus Stand area after the alliance men brought out a procession from in front of the district BNP office, reported our correspondent.
Two more rallies were held at Sanbari on Dohar-Dhaka road.
Peaceful demonstrations were also staged in Chittagong, Rangpur, Rajshahi and Jhenaidah, reported our correspondents.
Source: New Age
