STAR REPORT

At least 55 BNP leaders and activists were injured as police baton-charged a procession in Savar and ruling party men attacked another BNP procession in Patuakhali yesterday.

Two police personnel were also injured in a clash in Savar. Police officials in both districts said BNP had not taken permission for the processions.

On February 24, BNP announced an 11-day countrywide programme, including demonstrations, to protest the price hike of daily essentials. There were demonstrations in all 64 districts yesterday.

Patuakhali BNP tried to hold a pre-scheduled rally around 10:30am in front of the district party office on College Road, but eyewitnesses said Awami League men swooped on them before the rally began.

They said the two sides clashed when BNP leaders and activists tried to resist. Police charged baton and lobbed tear gas to bring the situation under control.

District BNP Member-Secretary Snehangshu Sarkar Kutty alleged that at least 25 BNP leaders and activists, including Sadar Upazila BNP President Kazi Mahbub and district Chhatra Dal President Shafiul Bashar Ujjwal, were injured in the incident.

Patuakhali district Awami League General Secretary Abdul Mannan denied that AL men were involved, claiming that the clash was due to internal conflict of the BNP.

Moniruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Patuakhali Police Station, said additional police were deployed at different points in the town to avoid further clashes.

In Savar, at least 30 BNP men were injured and three were detained after police baton-charged on a procession.

After a rally at the residence of Dewan Mohammad Salauddin, Dhaka district president of BNP, in Savar’s Pakiza area around 11:00am, BNP activists brought out a procession on the Dhaka-Aricha highway.

When it reached Rajalakh Farm area, police barred them. At one stage, the protesters tried to defy the police barricade and police charged baton on them, leaving many protesters injured.

Shariful Alam, Dhaka district BNP’s assistant joint-general secretary and former BNP-backed MP Salauddin Babu’s personal secretary, told The Daily Star that police suddenly charged baton on their procession leaving 30 leaders and activists injured.

Kazi Moinul Islam, OC of Savar Model Police Station, said BNP men brought out a procession without permission and when police barred them, they hurled brick chips and two police members were injured.