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Cops foil opposition hunger marches

170 hurt in countrywide clashes

Staff Correspondent
Police foiled an opposition attempt lo take out 'hunger processions' in Dhaka and elsewhere yesterday as they clubbed and fired rubber bullets and teargas shells on the demonstrators opposition gatherings, leaving al least 170 wounded.
In Khulna, al least 100 people were injured as opposition demonstrators fought pitched battles with police, who lobbed tear gas canisters to disperse an AL procession. Khulna City AL President Talukdar Abdul Khnlequc, MP, General -Secretary Mustafa Rashidi Suja and photojournalsis Abdul Malek and
Kamrul Ahsan were among the injured.
In Rangpur, over 50 opposition adherents, policemen and photo-jolimalists were wounded when workers of main opposition Awami League (AL) fought pitched battles with police after the law-enforcers prevented them from bringing out tiie planned processions lo protest die price spiral of essentials under the BNP-Jamaat-led coalition government.
There were also reports of attacks on the opposition activists in Manikganj and Rajshahi. In Dhaka, police did not allow the opposition men to gather at Muktangan and its adjacent areas from where the procession was scheduled to start at 3:00pm. Opposition activists also turned out on the streets in fewer numbers because of the heavy shower in the capital.
The opposition leaders blamed the government high-ups for the police crackdown on the opposition, which infringed on the opposition's right to protest.
The 'hunger procession' programme, first of its kind to protest the price hike of essentials, has drawn flak from the government high-ups since it was announced on March 2. Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and her senior colleagues bitterly censured the opposition, saying that the 'hunger procession' is aimed to tarnish country's image, as there is no scarcity offood.
Sources at the home ministry said it directed field-level police officers to prevent the opposition men from marching on the streets after the government high-ups'reaction.
DHAKA
Some 200 AL workers, including a large number of women, led by Motia Chowdhury and Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya defied downpours to gather on the road near Muktangon. But police did not allow them to enter the Muktangon area, from where the procession was scheduled to begin and march through the streets to the Central Shaheed Minar.
The opposition demonstrators sat on the street and chanted antigovernment slogans such as 'Give us food and clothes or quit'. Many of them carried vegetables, plates, lamps, mosquito nets and burners to draw the government's attention to the problems plaguing them. Police halted traffic movement from the Paltan crossing to Noor Hossain Square during this time.
After about 15 minutes, the opposition activists went to the AL's Bangabandhu Avenue headquarters. Police also snatched banners from some National Awami Party activists who tried to gather at Muktangan.
Earlier, police used batons to disperse AL workers who tried to bring out a procession from Golap Shah Mazar area at about 3pm. At the same time, police dispersed another gathering of pro-opposition bank officials at Motijheel.
Since noon, large numbers of riot police took position at different strategic points on Bangabandhu Avenue, Paltan crossing, Golap Shah Mazar, Gulistan and near the Secretariat. The law-enforcers put up barbed wire fences at all entries to the AL headquarters and did not allow any one in.
Workers Party and other members of the 11-party alliance as well as Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal that had also announced similar programmes could not bring out 'hunger processions' because of police interception.
Briefing journalists at the AL headquarters, AL leader Motia Chowdhury said police barred the opposition from staging peaceful demonstrations at the directive of the government top brass. "We will be compelled to enforce more hartals if the government does not allow us to express our concerns at its failures to govern," she warned.
BDB PROTESTS SPIRAL
Bikalpa Jubo Dhara (BJD), the youth wing of Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB), yesterday staged demonstrations to protest the price spiral of necessary commodities in front of its office at Segun Bagicha. The demonstrators led by BDB leaders Mahi B Chowdhury MP and Nurul Amin Bepari carried placards and shouted ant-government slogans. They also held a rally there.
50HURTINRANGPUR
At least 50 leaders and activists of the AL and its front organisations, 10 businesspeople, two photojournalists and four police personnel were injured, four of them critically, in a series of clashes in the town yesterday noon, our correspondent from Rangpur reports.
Violence started when police intercepted a huge 'hunger proces-
sion' of the AL, brought out from party office at Bethpotti in the town.
Police charged batons when the AL demonstrators broke through the barricade and headed towards Super Market area. AL leaders Siddique Hossain, Mosaddeque Hossain Bablu, Tushar Kanti Mondol, Anwarul Islam, Anwarul Karim Raju, Shamim Talukder, Idris Ali and Motiur Rahman were injured in the action.
The AL workers regrouped and brought out a procession from party office at Bethpotti. When the procession reached Jeweller Market, police lobbed tear gas shells and fired rubber bullets. The AL activists retaliated by throwing brick bats. In the police attack, Awami Sechhasebak League Convener Moazzem Hossain Lablu, Joint Convener Rabiul Islam Quel, Bangladesh Chhatra League leader Biplob, Rana, Tuhin, and Woman AL leader Rosy Rahman, the secretary of Jewellery Businessmen's Association of Rangpur and three other businessmen were injured.
Rana, Quel, Shamim Talukder and Biplob were rushed to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.
The Association kept shutters of the jewellery shops down for two hours from 1:00 pm in protest at the attack on theirfellow businessmen.
In Barisal, AL activists gathered at the heavily guarded court area. At one stage, witnesses said, ruling BN P supporters who also gathered in the area tried to attack the opposition activists. Police did not however allow the BNP men to pounce on the AL activists, neither did they allow AL adherents to bring out the "hunger procession".
In Chittagong, demonstrators took out a 'hunger procession' to register protest against the price hike of essentials. Chittagong City, North and South District units of the AL brought out the procession from the Darul Fazal Market premises. Police barred the demonstrators from carrying utensils.