BNP activist killed in clash with police in Lakshmipur, over 50 injured
An activist of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was killed in a clash between police and BNP leaders and activists in Lakshmipur centring the party’s march for one-point movement demanding the ouster of the government.
Deceased Md Sazib was identified as an activist of BNP’s front organisation Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal.
The clashes also left more than 50 people injured on the both sides including the additional superintendent of police (Sadar circle) Md Sohel Rana.
A series of clashes broke out between the law enforcement agency and BNP leaders and activists in front of the Jhumur Cinema and the Modern Hospital on Ramgati road of the district town at around 5:00 pm. Police were working to control the situations.
According to the accounts of police, BNP and several witnesses, BNP started the march from the residence of the party’s publicity affairs secretary Shahid Uddin Chowdhury alias Annie in Godown area of the district town at 4:00 pm. Police barred the marched from moving ahead when it arrived near the Modern Hospital on Ramgati Road around 4:30 pm, but the march advanced ignoring police’s barrier. At one stage, BNP leaders and activists locked into clashes with police. Clashes took place in nearby Jhumur Cinema and Mokta Mosque areas that lasted till 5:30 pm and left more than 50 people wounded from both sides.
Anwar Hossain, resident medical officer of Sadar hospital, said an individual who was brought to the hospital was already dead. He was hacked by sharpe weapons and he died of profuse bleeding. The body is now in the hospital morgue, he added.
BNP’s Lakshmipur district unit joint convener Hasibur Rahman told Prothom Alo that police barred their peaceful march. Leaders and activists of Awami League and Bangladesh Chhatra League joined the police and the BCL men hacked an activist of Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal, Md Sazib, to death. Some 30-50 others were receiving treatment at hospital after sustaining plates during police firing, he claimed.
However, the president of district unit Awami League, Golam Faruk, alleged that the BNP men carried out an attack on the ruling party programme and beat up their leaders and activists.
He also claimed that the BNP activist’s death resulted from the party’s internal feud and it has no connection with the BCL.
Meanwhile, the police claimed some 20 to 25 police members were injured in the attack by BNP leaders and activists. They are now being treated in different hospitals in the district town.
Mosleh Uddin, officer-in-charge of Lakshmipur police station, said the BNP men were supposed to march towards the Godown Road, and were not permitted to move towards the Ramgati road. When their march attempted to go to the Ramgati road, they were stopped. At one stage, they attacked the police with bamboo sticks and threw bricks at them, injuring 20 to 25 cops, including him.
Later, the police fired tear gas shells to disperse them, but the BNP men responded by throwing cocktails, said the OC, adding that he heard of a man’s death during the clash, but he had no authentic information.