BCL men attack BNP lawmaker GM Siraj at Bogura Shaheed Minar

BNP lawmaker Golam Mohammad Siraj and his supporters came under attack by activists of ruling party student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League on Sunday morning.

BCL district unit activists launched the attack in front of Shaheed Khokon Park over placing floral wreaths at Bogura Shaheed Minar.

BCL activists chanted slogans against Siraj branding him as a Razakar (auxiliary force of Pakistani army) and attacked him while the BNP leader was leaving Shaheed Minar.

Witnesses and police sources said the ruling Awami League and its associate organisations including Chhatra League and Jubo League placed floral wreaths at the Shaheed Minar to observe International Mother Language Day on Sunday morning. Bogura district BNP’s convenor and lawmaker GM Siraj along with his supporters came to Shaheed Minar to honour language martyrs around 8:30am. After placing wreaths, the BNP leader approached the main gate under police protection. BNP central executive committee member Ali Asgar Taluker, district BNP member MR Islam and other members were accompanying the MP at the time.

Meanwhile, over a hundred BCL leaders led by its district president Naimur Razzaque Titas and general secretary Asim Kumar Roy were waiting at the Khokon Park premises at that moment. BCL leaders started to chant various slogans at the BNP MP while the party’s leaders were departing the shaheed minar area.

While BNP leaders were approaching their party office under police protection, the BCL men started to chase them. District Shramik League vice president Shamsul Alam, BNP activist Prabal, Jubo Dal activist Masum, among others, were injured during the brawl.

BNP central executive committee member and former upazila chairman of Bogura sadar Ali Asgar Taluker said BCL men carried out a ‘barbaric attack’ without any provocation.

GM Siraj MP said they communicated with the police beforehand for placing floral wreaths in Shaheed Minar.

Overzealous BCL activists launched the attack to flaunt themselves, alleged the BNP leader.

“They are student leaders only in names. They don’t even know why they have come to Shaheed Minar,” GM Siraj told Prothom Alo.

District Awami League’s joint secretary AKM Asaduzzaman was present at the scene during the attack.

“Not only the MP, anyone can come to Shaheed Minar to pay homage. Chhatra League’s behavior was not decent at all. I also tried to control them,” the Awami League told Prothom Alo.

BCL president Naimur Razzaque Titas, however, said the allegation of attack against his organisation is not true.

“BNP lawmaker along with his party activists came to Shaheed Minar immediately after Awami League and Chhatra League placed floral wreaths. Everybody knows about the controversial role he (BNP MP) and his family played during the liberation war. This led to tension but Chhatra League didn’t prevent him from placing flowers,” Titas said.

He said some agitated activists chanted slogans against the MP while he was departing from the Shaheed Minar.

BCL men chased the BNP men while they instigated, Titas claimed saying that they calmed down their agitated supporters.

Khorshed Alam, sub inspector of Bogura sadar police post said the law enforcers took the MP to sadar police outpost for safety and later took him to BNP office after the situation was brought under control.