The government in a press note on Wednesday defended police raid on the BNP’s headquarters two days back, saying the action was ‘inescapable’
Police launched the operation as attempts to carry out bomb attacks were made from the BNP office and activists tried acts of sabotage, it added.
The government made clear its position in response to the statement Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia made on Wednesday ‘to create confusion in the public mind’ about the Monday’s incident.
The press note said the Dhaka Metropolitan Police had braced for extensive security measures in and around the venue of the 18-Party Alliance rally.
“Rowdy (BNP) leaders and activists started causing extensive damage to public property by exploding 8-10 hand bombs in front of BNP office, blocking roads, torching rickshaw-van and throwing brickbats at nearby buildings immediately after the call of hartal from the centre of the rally towards the end of the rally.”
“They started hurling hand bombs at police personnel deployed at Nightingale intersection and tried to attack police. Police requested them to abstain from indulging in destructive acts. They ignored the police request and became more aggressive and continued hurling bombs and brickbats at police and the destructive acts for approximately 30 minutes.
“At one stage they tried to kill the police members, deployed at the rally venue and on the rooftops of buildings near the BNP central office for security… and to snatch arms from them.”
The press note further said considering the danger, police took necessary actions to save the life of the duty policemen and life and property of the people from the rowdy and terrorist leaders and activists and to maintain law and order.”
“As a result the rowdy people were dispersed and 30-40 people arrested from the place of occurrence for their suspected involvement in the misdeed.”
Khaleda visited the party office on Wednesday and condemneted the police raid. She said it looked like the office was raided by robbers.
”Police looted money and important documents breaking our office doors. Such move prove they are no longer are friends of people,” she said.
Claiming that several crude bombs were hurled later at police from the BNP office building, the press note said: “The police went for a search operation in the BNP office immediately to arrest the criminals.”
“During such search, 10 hand bombs were recovered from different rooms of the BNP central office and the leaders and activists present there were held lawfully for their suspected involvement in the destructive acts. Necessary legal measures were taken after quizzing the detainees and after scrutiny.”
It said the people themselves saw the chaos and destructive acts of created by ‘terrorists’ of the 18 parties, including the BNP, on several private TV channels.
The press note cited police raids on Awami League headquarters at Bangabandhu Avenue on Mar 1, 2004 during the BNP government, in which the law-enforcers broke into the office and ransacked ‘valuable documents’.
During the four-hour raid, more than one hundred leaders and activists of the Awami League had been arrested, it said adding that journalists, innocent passersby and office-goers were subjected to ‘government torture’ at the time.
The press note also cited ransacking of Awami League’s computerised information and research centres by army personnel on Oct 2, 2002 during the BNP government.
It said many things including important documents, computers and accessories were taken away during the six-hour raid.
It noted that the then government did not explain those oprations ever.
Source: Bd newa24