Houses of ministers, MPs attacked, torched

Houses of public representatives, Awami League offices, police stations and different other government installations were attacked, vandalised and torched in 39 districts on Sunday amid violence centering non-cooperation movement.

Fierce clashes erupted between protesters and leaders of Awami League and its associate organisations in different districts of the country.

Agitators attacked, vandalized and set fire to the residences and offices of ruling party ministers, state ministers, parliamentarians and Awami League leaders in at least 14 places.

They ransacked and set afire at least 20 offices of AL.

In at least 11 districts, various government buildings, police stations, deputy commissioner's offices, police super’s offices were attacked. Earlier, after the attack on education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury's residence in Chattogram city on Saturday, the houses of four BNP leaders were attacked and set on fire.

Protesters attacked and vandalized the house of Awami League’s central joint general secretary and member of parliament for Kushtia-3 (Sadar) Mahbub Ul Alam Hanif in Kushtia. The attack took place at his house on PTI road in the city around 6:30pm yesterday. Kushtia superintendent of police Muhammad Alamgir Hossain confirmed this information to Prothom Alo. It was found at 7:00pm yesterday that AC, windows and glass of the ground floor of the building are broken. The kitchen at the backyard was ransacked.

The residence of social welfare minister Dipu Moni and the Chandpur pourashava office located on JM Sengupta Road in the were vandalized. The city's Kalibari police box and the district Awami League office were vandalized.

The protesters attacked the residence of state minister for water resources and member of parliament for Barishal-5 (Sadar) Zahid Farooq at Nobogram Road in Barishal around 2:00pm Sunday. At that time, extensive vandalism was carried out inside the house. Several motorcycles were set on fire in front of the house. On receiving the information, the police went to the spot and fired teargas shells at the angry students and dispersed them.

House of member of parliament for Dinajpur-3 and national parliament’s whip Iqbalur Rahim at Hospital intersection was vandalized and set on fire. At the same time, two police vehicles parked outside his house were vandalized and torched. The police dispersed the protesters by firing teargas shells, rubber bullets and charging batons. It is reported that more than 50 were injured as the police fired shotgun pellets.

In Habiganj, Awami League and Chhatra League leaders and workers chased by protesters took shelter at the house of Md Abu Zahid, the president of district Awami League and member of parliament for Habiganj-3 seat. The protesters surrounded the house.

The ruling party men besieged at the house fired bullets at the protesters while they retaliated with hurling brickbats and stones. The standoff situation continued till 8:00am. The protesters torched to adjacent buildings and several shops.

In Sirajganj, the protesters vandalised the houses of former member of parliament Habibe Millat and current member of parliament Jannat Ara Henry.

Protesters vandalized the residence of member of parliament Asaduzzaman Noor, Awami League office and vandalized and set fire to the police box in Nilphamari. The police fired teargas shells, rubber bullets and sound grenades at them.

A procession of the protesters came under attack at Kalibari road in Tangail. Later they attacked the house of Tangail-2 constituency’s member of parliament Tanvir Hasan (Choto Monir) at Adalat Para area. They torched seven motorbikes in the hose. The protesters also vandalised the house of pourashava mayaor SM Sirajul Haque. The agitators also ransacked and set afire a petrol refueling station and restaurant owned by Tanvir Hasan.

Apart from this, bricks were hurled at the residence of former state minister Sharif Ahmed in Mymensingh. There were reports of vandalism at the residence of member of parliament Nuruuddin Chowdhury in Lakshmipur. The residences of member of parliament Mujibur Rahman in Bagura and member of parliament Sheikh Helal in Khulna were also attacked and torched.

The protesters torched Mohonpur police station, and upazila Awami League office in Rajshahi. Awami League’s offices of Khulna city and district units were vandalised at around 12 noon. Faridpur city Awami League office was also attacked.

In Netrokona’s Purbadhala, protesters allegedly looted 10 pistols and 400 bullets by attacking a police vehicle. Six policemen were beaten and their vehicle vandalised, said the district police’s additional superintendent Md Lutfur Rahman.