Police, BNP clash at Matuail, Dholaikhal and Uttara

Clashes between police and the leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are ongoing at Dhaka’s Dholaikhal, Uttara and Matuail in Dhaka. At the time of writing this report at 1:00pm, the clashes at Matuail were still going on.

The incidents took place after the police tried to disperse the BNP activists from their sit-in programme. Initially, it was known that several have sustained injuries, including BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy.

BNP is staging a five-hour sit-in programme at several important entry points to the capital, demanding the resignation of the government. The programme began at 11:00am and is scheduled to run till 4:00pm.

Prothom Alo correspondents and photo journalists are stationed at every point where the sit-in programme was scheduled to take place. They have reported that in Gabtali, Uttara, Nayabazar and Shonir Akhra Awami League leaders and activists and police members took control of the area before the BNP programme began. From 11:00am, BNP activists began gathering for the sit-in.

At 11:00am, a few hundred BNP leaders and activists took position at one side of the road with sticks which had the national flag hoisted at the top. They started chanting ant-government slogans.

BNP was supposed to hold this programme at Dhaka’s Nayabazar. But Awami League leaders and activists began gathering at the area since morning. A huge number of police officials were also stationed at the area.

BNP activists gathered at Dholaikhal, which is 1.5 kilometres away from Nayabazar. That’s where the clashes began.

At 11:30am, the police first charged at the BNP leaders and activists and tried to disperse them from Dholaikhal. The BNP activists retreated at first. Later, the protestors also charged back at the police.

BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Dhaka divisional organising secretary Abdus Salam and other leaders were present. They tried to pacify the activists, but couldn’t.

Gayeshwar Chandra Roy was injured in the clashes. The police first took him inside a shop. Later, they took him to some other location on a police van.

At 12:30pm, the police had dispersed the BNP leaders and activists.

Police and BNP leaders and activists also clashed in Dhaka’s Uttara.

A little after 11:00am, a number of BNP leaders and activists gathered at the BNS Centre in Uttara. The police told them to disperse, but a little while later more BNP activists gathered there.

At one point, they took position at the centre of the road and started giving speeches. At that time, three explosions were heard. Later, the police used tear gas and charged the BNP leaders and activists to disperse them.

BNP leaders backed away and took position in different alleys of Uttara Sector No.7. From there, they began hurling brickbats at the police. A little while after that, Awami League leaders and activists started charging towards BNP protestors.

At the time of writing this report at 1:00pm, the situation had calmed down. The police had taken position in front of the BNS Centre.

Police claimed that the three explosions were caused by sound grenades. Jamuna Television’s senior correspondent Shoriful Islam Khan got injured on the spot. He was hit by a splinter.

Jugantor’s staff reporter Tariqul Islam said, the police snatched away his phone because he was filming the incident on his phone.

Several hundred leaders and activists of BNP gathered on the road in front of the Matuail Matri Sadan Hospital after 11:00am. Police fired teargas and rubber bullets iin a bid to disperse them. Police were also seen spaying water from water cannons. Chases and counter-cashes were underway between both sides.

On spot-visits, BNP leaders and activists were clashing with police around 12:45pm. A bus was also set on fire in this area.

Several leaders and activists of BNP gathered in front of the bus counter of Khaleque Paribahan around 10:00am. At that time, activists of Jubo League and Chhattra League caught several BNP leaders and activists and handed over them to the police. Police also detained several more BNP activists. Their loudspeakers were also snatched away.

After a while, BNP leaders and activists led by Amanullah Aman took position on a side of the road. Leaders and activists of the Awami League also took the position in nearby Baloor Maath seating up temporary stage.

A little after 11:00am, police told Amanullah Aman to leave the area. On-duty additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Nazmul Firoz told him, “You all don’t have permission to stay here. You are given five minutes to leave the place.”

As Amanullah Aman replied, “I am not going anywhere,” members of the police tried to pick him up in a police van twice. After that, police tried to remove BNP leaders and activists from the spot.

At one point, Amanullah Aman lay down on the street in front of the Nabil Paribahan counter in the Mazar Raod area. Police also tried to remove him. Later, he was taken to a police van there.

Leaders and activists of BNP brought out a procession in Beribadh area, but the ruling party leaders and activists chased them. Police also detained several people during this time.