Is there no administration in the country, angry JaPa men ask

Signs of fire were seen on the ground floor of the four-storied building that houses the headquarters of the Jatiya Party (JaPa) in the capital’s Bijoynagar while damaged furniture and other equipment were strewn on the remaining floors.

Earlier on Thursday, a group of people, under the banner of ‘anti-fascist students, workers, and general citizens’, marched with a procession to the JaPa headquarters.

It led to chases there, with both sides throwing brick chips at each other. Later, the Jatiya Party office was set on fire.

Visiting the spot around 11:00 am on Friday, several leaders and party activists were seen gathering at the building. No members of the police and other law enforcement agencies were seen in the area.

Prothom Alo spoke to leaders and activists who gathered at the burnt buildings. Many of them asked, is there no administration in the country? Why was their office set on fire? They, however, declined to disclose their names.

Fire damaged the ground floor of the Jatiya Party office. Furniture and other equipment were vandalised there.

The mural of Jatiya Party founding chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad inside the office wall was also damaged.

A local shopkeeper told Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity that people had been gathering there for several days, but the building was set on fire yesterday, Thursday.

As per an announcement, Bin Yamin Molla, former president of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad, led a torch procession from the Raju memorial sculpture on the Dhaka University campus to Bijoynagar, via Shahbagh.

About the incident, Hasan Al Mamun, joint general secretary of Gono Odhikar Parishad, told Prothom Alo on Thursday night that Jatiya Party leaders and activists suddenly attacked them with arms when they arrived at Bijoynagar after a rally at Shahbagh.

Hasnat Abdullah, coordinator of Students Against Discrimination, wrote on his Facebook page, “National traitor Jatiya Party beat up our brothers with weapons at Bijoynagar, and are marching with arms. Now, the ouster of these national traitors is certain.”

In a separate post, he announced that they would move from the Raju memorial sculpture towards Bijoynagar with a procession around 8:30 pm, adding, “National traitors must be wiped out.”

Sarjis Alam, former coordinator of Students Against Discrimination, posted a similar status on Facebook.