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Procession obstructed: 50 hurt, 11 held

Police, BNP activists clash in city

By Staff Correspondent
The area around BNP central office at Naya Paltan in the city yesterday turned into a battlefield as police and BNP workers clashed for hours, leaving at least 50 people including a policeman injured.
Police picked up 26 people including a BNP central leader, Taqdir Hossain Mohammad Jasim. during the clashes that began when police obstructed BNP workers from bringing out a planned procession from in front of the party office in the afternoon. Taqdir Hossain was arrested ataRfewith^ome-pa^-
tymen from inside the BNP office. Fifteen of the arrested were released later. Motijheel police said.
The planned procession was part of BNP's 17-day demonstration programme across the country that concluded yesterday. The programme was observed to press Its various demands.
Witnesses said police lobbed tear gas shells indiscriminately during the clashes that lasted nearly four hours.
Angry BNP activists dam-aawL winy 40 -41^
area.
The trouble began at about 3.30 pm when police all of a sudden showered coloured water dispersing a group of militant party workers who had Rathered in front of the BNP of-ce to participate In the planned procession.
Angered by the police action. BNP activists started brickbat-ting the police from inside the party office. After a series of cat and mouse operations by the two sides, a number of crackers were exploded, leading the police to start lobbing tear gas shells. Police fired scores of tear gas canisters at the stonepelting BNP workers in front of the four-story building housing the BNP office and also inside the party office.
During the clashes, police also used batons to scatter several small processions including one by some female workers of BNP and at one stage police entered the BNP office and beat up the inmates. Several vehicles also came under attack by the agitated activists at that time. At the fag end of the clashes, at about 7.15 pm. plainclothes policemen entered the BNP office and picked up Taqdlr Hossain Mohammad Jasim along with some party workers.
Earlier, police, in full riot gear cordoned off the Inner Circular Road in front of the BNP office from Fakirerpool to Bi-joynagar. Two water cannons and a riot van were seen shuttling between Fakirerpool and Bijoynagar crossings during the clashes.
A DMP press release claimed last night that the BNP workers obstructed traffic on the road in front of their party office and later pelted stones at police. It also alleged that the.BNP activists hurled crackers and bombs at the on-duty policemen, injuring a police constable.
The BNP workers also damaged two buses and an autorickshaw at the Bijoynagar crossing and attacked on-outy police. Eleven persons were arrested, the DMP press release said. Sit-uation in other parts of the city remained normal.