Opposition BNP on Wednesday demanded a press note over Sunday’s overnight crackdown by police, Rab and BGB men to disperse Hefajat-e Islam activists from Shapla Chattar in the city’s Motijheel area.
“We want to know how many Hefajat activists were killed at Shapla Chattar at that night and the number of law enforcers and those other than the members law enforcement agencies took part in the joint operation and the number of bullets used. We demand the government issue a press note in this regard,” said BNP chairperson’s advisor Shamsuzzaman Dudu said.
He was talking to reporters at BNP’s Nayaplatan central office in the morning.
Dudu alleged that the law enforcers and other forces opened indiscriminate fire on unarmed Hefajat leaders and activists after snapping power supply in the area on May 5.
He deplored that though the government helped Shahbagh Ganajagaran Mancha to stage non-stop demonstrations for three months, it did not allow Hefajat activists to stay at Shapla Chattar for only three to four hours. “Without any prior warning, they (govt) killed the unarmed people in firing in the darkness of night.”
Earlier on Tuesday night, BNP standing committee members in a statement criticised the government for not formally issuing any statement or press note about the crackdown, and said the country’s people were not informed the exact number of casualties in the crackdown.
Dudu said BNP will form a probe body to divulge the exact casualty figure in the crackdown on the Hefajat men.
The BNP leader was also critical of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister for keeping mum after the incident amid the claim of the foreign media that thousands of people have been killed in the drive. ”Parliament is functional. The Prime Minister is supposed to give her reaction to any incident in parliament and its outside. But she didn’t tell anything after this incident.”
Dudu also briefed reporters about some attacks on BNP leaders and activists by police and ruling party men at different parts of the country during the hartal.
Meanwhile, the first day of the two-day nationwide hartal, enforced by the BNP-led 18-party alliance, continued amid stray incidents of violence.
The BNP-led 18-party alliance enforced the countrywide daylong hartal for two consecutive days (Wednesday and Thursday) protesting the killing of unarmed Alems (Islamic scholars) in the Shapla Chattar crackdown.
Source: UNB Connect
