Police open fire, tear gas shells in clash with BNP men in Sunamganj
A clash broke out between the police and the leaders and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who brought out a procession in support of a 48-hour hartal around the country, in Sunamganj on Sunday morning.
The law enforcement opened fire and tear gas shells as the BNP men threw brick chips at them during the clash in the Old Bus Stand area of the town, where the BNP office is located, between 11:00 am and 11:30 am.
Additional police super (sadar circle) Zahidul Islam Khan, Sadar Model police station officer-in-charge Ikhtiar Uddin Chowdhury and several other police members sustained injuries, claimed the police.
The law enforcement members have taken primary treatment. However, there was no information of injuries of BNP leaders and activists.
Police have detained six people in this connection.
Police and witnesses said some BNP leaders and activists from nearby RP Nagar and Jamtala, two strongholds of BNP, brought out a sudden procession and tried to take to the main road at around 11:00 am. The clash broke out when police obstructed them.
They further said the BNP men entered the lanes and by-lanes of the area and started throwing brick chips on police. The law enforcement could not enter the area despite trying hard. As a result they opened firing and tear gas shells.
Police, however, could not confirm as of 1:15 pm how many rounds of bullets and tear gas shells they fired.
Sadar Model police station officer-in-charge Ikhtiar Uddin Chowdhury said they have been counting how many rounds of bullets and tear gas shells were fired.
A trader at Jamtala mor said the area turned into a battleground during the clash. Shopkeepers shut their shops and left the place hurriedly. Actually, police could not realise that the BNP men could carry out such an attack.
Additional police super in Sunamganj, Rajan Kumar Das, said some 30-40 BNP men tried to erect an obstacle on the road. The clash broke out when the police obstructed them. They tried to attack police from two sides but the law enforcement brought the situation under control. The situation is calm now, he added.