BNP men attacked, vehicles torched-vandalised in Natore

At least 30 leaders-activists of BNP’s associate organisations were injured in different places of Natore as ruling party men allegedly attacked the vehicles carrying them to BNP’s ‘youth road march’ programme demanding resignation of the government.

Although BNP alleged AL men carried out the attacks, the ruling party denied the allegation.

BNP alleged that AL men intercepted the vehicles, torched and vandalised seven private cars and microbuses. Three seriously injured BNP men were admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

The incidents of attack took place in front of Dighapatia textile mills, Tebaria Haat and Syed Morth areas on Natore-Bogura highway in Natore district.

Police, locals and BNP leaders-activists said a team of 11 leaders-activists led by Bagatipara upazila Chhatra Dal’s convener Sohel Rana started for Bogura on a microbus to join the road march in the morning. Hearing the AL men’s presence on the highway, they took a detour via Dattapara road. As the microbus reached in front of the textile factory area, over a hundred AL men carrying local weapons and iron rods intercepted the vehicle. The miscreant at first hacked the driver of the vehicle indiscriminately and beat him up with iron rods. The AL men then attacked the Chhatra Dal leaders who were inside the vehicle and hacked them.

Critically injured JCD leaders took shelter in a nearby mosque and saw the microbus was burning. Although Natore fire service officials and police reached the spot quickly, the vehicle got completely charred.

Chhatra Dal leader Sohel Rana told Prothom Alo over phone that they came to know about AL men’s obstruction as soon as the microbus left Bagatipara. The driver took a detour to avoid Natore town but it could not save them. Awami League men masquerading with local weapons swooped on them. They didn’t spare the opposition men despite though they begged them and even held their feet.

“The driver is in critical condition. He called me from an unknown place and told me that he might not survive,” Sohel Rana said.

Earlier at around 6:00am, another vehicle carrying Swecchasebak Dal leaders-activists came under attack at the Tebaria Haat area. District Swechhasebak Dal general secretary Jewel Rana was beaten up mercilessly. He has been admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

Around the same time, another incident of attack took place on Natore-Dhaka highway at Syed Morh area. Lalpur upazila Swecchasebak Dal joint convener Abdul Majid, Swecchasebak Dal leades Anowarul Islam, Kabil Uddin, Jubo Dal leader Majnu Patowary were injured in the attack. Kabil has been admitted to RMCH.

Lalpur upazila BNP’s secretary Harun Or Rashid said, “We couldn’t even perceive that Awami League leaders of Natore will attack us this way. We want proper investigation and justice over the incident.”

District AL, however, denied the allegation of attack.

AL’s district unit joint secretary Malek Sheikh told Prothom Alo that no AL men were involved in the attacks. The allegation of the BNP is baseless.

Natore BNP’s convener (acting) Shahidul Islam (Bacchu) told Prothom Alo that the AL carried out the attacks in a planned way to thwart BNP from joining the road march.

Terming the attacks barbaric, he said 30 BNP men were injured while 3 critically injured ones were admitted to RMCH.

He said AL men attacked 9 out of 10 programmes of BNP this year.
Nasim Ahmed, officer in charge of Natore Sadar police station, told Prothom Alo that police rushed to all three spots after receiving the information of the attacks.

He said police are yet to know who attacked whom. No complaints were filed. Police are trying to unearth who was behind the attacks.