BNP-police clash in Khulna leaves 15 injured

At least 15 activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its associate organisations were injured in a clash with police in Khulna.

The clash took place in front of Khulna press club at around 3:45pm on Friday.

Police detained 10 BNP men from the spot.

Mohammad Tajul Islam, deputy commissioner (south) of Khulna Metropolitan Police, confirmed the incident to Prothom Alo. Police did not disclose the names of the injured persons.

BNP leaders alleged that police opened fire during the clash. They alleged several BNP men including member of Dighalia Senati union parishad Mujibur Rahman, Khalishpur unit’s leader Ripon and Jubo Dal leader Jahidur Rahman sustained bullet wounds.

BNP called a protest rally to press home its 10-point demand including resignation of the government and end of fictitious cases and mass arrest this afternoon at the press club premises in the city. BNP said police obstructed its procession and later charged batons and fired tear gas and bullets.

Khulna city BNP’s member secretary Shafiqul Alam alleged that the police fired bullets, tear gas and beat up the BNP men without any provocation to foil the party’s rally.

He said the injured BNP men are being taken to different hospitals, adding the details of the wounded persons would be published later.

Police, however, said the BNP men pelted stones targeting law enforcers forcing them to fire rubber bullets and tear shells to bring the situation under control.

KMP’s DC Mohammad Tajul said BNP organised an event at the banquet hall of the press club and did not have any permission to hold any program on the streets. The party leaders and workers blocked the road in front of the press club and sat on the road as top leaders of the party reached there. At this time, the police moved back but BNP men started pelting stones at them. Police at one stage fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the BNP men.

He claimed several policemen were injured too in the BNP men’s attack.

Police later detained 10 BNP activists from the spot, the police official added.