Around 200 people including women were injured in attacks by the ruling BNP men who reportedly teamed up with police to prevent the opposition workers from forming human wall in Bogra and Gaibandhayestcrday.
In Natorc and Netrokona, armed cadres loyal to the alliance government barred the opposition supporters from joining the human wall while in Chittagong police snatched loudspeakers from the opposition men and prevented them from participating in the demonstrations
at different locations of the port city, said ail eye witness account
The opposition leaders strongly condemned the attacks and held tne government responsible. They said still tens of thousands of people braving all the obstructions joined yesterday's demonstrations to show ’no-confidence' in the ruling alliance.
In separate statements, leader of the Awami League (AL), left 11-Party alliance, Jatiya Samaitantrik Dal (JSD) and National Awami Party (NAP) called on the people to stand united against the repression of the BNP-Jamaat led coalition and accelerate the movement to its fall.
Our Bogra correspondent reports: BNP cadres and police yesterday attacked the AL and other opposition leaders and workers while they were preparing for human wall in Bogra town. More than 100 people were reported injured in the attacks.
About 1000 supporters of ruling BNP, many brandishing firearms and bamboo sticks, attacked the agitating gathering in front of the AL office at Sathmatha at about 3:00pm.
In the face of repeated attacks, Bogra district AL President Mamtaz Uddin, Organising Secretary Abdul Mannan and other leaders were forced to confine themselves to the ALoffice.
Later, the BNP men in groups paraded through the town and attacked the opposition followers at Barogola, Fulbari BISIC Point and Matidali.
AL leaders Advocate Shamsul Adedin Sonamia, Advocate Matin, Sujanur Rahman Sujan, Mohila Awami League leader Nigar Sultana were among the injured.
In Shcrpur of the district, a number of people were injured when police charged baton to disperse a post human wall procession.
Our Rajshahi correspondent adds: Around 30 people were injured in Nandigram of Bogra on Natore-Bogra 1 iignway when armed BNP activists backed by police attacked them.
Among the injured, condition of Natore AL leader Omar Ali was reported to be critical.
Several groups of armed BNP activists on motorbikes patrolled the Natore-Bogra Highway and
blocked several hundred vehicles carrying opposition workers from joining the human wall formation. They barricaded the highway at Gohall with trees and logs, said witnesses.
AL workers from Natore were badly beaten up by BNP men when they (ALsupporters) tried to defy the barricades at around 2.30pm.
Some 12 vehicles with Workers Party activists returned to Rajshahi after being blocked by the barricade. Later in the evening they held a protest rally in Rajshani city.
Workers Party Politburo Member Fazle Hossain Badsha yesterday told The Daily Star that at Nandigram six youths wielding firearms asked them to go back home. The youths identified themselves as BNP activists, he added.
"Police too told us to return home when we complained of the barricade at Nandigram," said Badsha adding that there were many more who like them could not join the human wall.
Rajshahi AL leader HM Khairuzzaman Liton said they joined the human wall at Hatikumrul in Sirajganj, though they were originally scheduled to join it at Bogra. He said barricades put up by BNP men did not let as many as 60 vehicles carrying AL workers enter Bogra.
Reports say opposition workers were barred from joining the agitation programme at many points in Naogaonaswell.
Our Gaibandha correspondent adds: At least 21 activists of AL and other opposition parties were injured when the ruling alliance men swooped on an opposition procession just before the start of the human wall at Palashbari upazila.
Joint Secretary of Gaibandha district AL Farhad Abdullah Harun, General Secretary of Gaibandha district Jubo League Emarul Islam Sabin, Organising Secretary Rezaul Karim, Central Chhatra League leader Hemayet Uddin Himu were among the injured.
Besides, police lobbed at least 20 tear gas shells to disperse the prohumanwall crowd, said witnesses.
Our staff correspondent from Chittagong adds: Police snatched the loudspeaker set up for the oppo-sition gathering at city's Bahaddarnat and Lalknan Baz