BNP activists clashed with police, torched four vehicles, and vandalised around 100 others in the capital leaving 25 people injured yesterday afternoon.

During the clash, law enforcers fired shotgun shells, teargas canisters and charged truncheons in retaliation to homemade bombs, brick chips and shoes hurled at them.

The opposition activists torched two cars on Bailey Road and Malibagh, a bus and a lorry on Chittagong Road and vandalised vehicles at the city's Malibagh, Mouchak, Shanti Nagar, Bailey Road, Paltan, Kakrail, Moghbazar, Dhanmondi and Jatrabari areas.

City dwellers fled in panic and traffic movement got suspended in those areas for more than an hour.

Witnesses said the clash ensued around 4:30pm when some BNP men from a procession at Malibagh intersection hurled brick chips and shoes on policemen.

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was leading the procession that began its journey from the BNP head office at Nayapaltan.

When police used teargas and fired rubber bullets, the opposition activists intensified their attack and charged with homemade bombs. They started vandalising vehicles then.

At one stage, chase and counter chase took place between police and the opposition party men. BNP Office Secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and its youth front Juba Dal President Syed Moazzem Hossain Alai were among the injured.

Some policemen and pedestrians were also injured.

According to witnesses, the BNP men, who had taken cover in narrower roads and alleys, started vandalising and torching vehicles and attacking police again.

Hearing the news of the clash between police and opposition men at Kakrail, Mouchak, Moghbazar, Shanti Nagar and Bailey Road areas, BNP men went berserk and torched vehicles and exploded homemade bombs in Dhanmondi, Jatrabari, Paltan and FDC areas as well.

Witnesses said panicked city dwellers ran for cover abandoning their cars and motorbikes on the streets while almost all business establishments closed their doors.

Talking to The Daily Star, BNP leaders Ruhul Kabir Rizvi claimed that police attacked their peaceful procession without being provoked and that a good number of BNP leaders and activists were injured in police action.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Mehedi Hasan of Motijheel Division, however, said, "We were compelled to swing into action to save public life and property as they (BNP men] attacked passing vehicles and created anarchy..."

He also alleged that many activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir had infiltrated into the BNP procession and took part in the attack.

“Mentioning our intelligence, we had made BNP leaders aware that Shibir men would create anarchy infiltrating into their procession, but the BNP leader did not listen," theADCsaid.