There was no attack on the official residence of Barishal Sadar upazila UNO Wednesday and posters and banners were being removed as part of routine activity of the city corporation staff, said the Barisal district and metropolitan units of Awami League (AL).
The ruling party units also claimed that around 50 of their leaders and activists and city corporation staff were shot as the law enforcers opened fire under the direction of UNO Munibur Rahman on Wednesday.
The situation did not require shooting, the AL units told the media at Barishal City Corporation mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah’s residence in the city.
They also demanded the removal of Barishal Sadar UNO Munibur Rahman and the release of arrested AL activists. The mayor was not present at the time.
Barishal district unit Awami League general secretary Talukdar M Younus said legal action would be taken regarding the incident on behalf of the party.
The administration cadre body said the government officials rely on the able leadership of Bangabandhu’s daughter prime minister Sheikh Hasina and have been carrying out their duties with the patriotism she espouses
Barishal City Corporation mayor Sadiq had been made the primary accused in two cases filed over violence in the city Wednesday night.
UNO Munibur and sub-inspector Shahjalal Mallick were the plaintiffs in the cases filed accusing the mayor and his men on charge of obstructing government work and attempt to murder.
“Ninety four activists of the ruling party and its affiliate organisations were accused in the cases,” said officer-in-charge of Kotwali Model police station Nurul Islam.
Police arrested 13 AL activists and the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) from different parts of the city in connection with the two cases filed over the attack on the residence of the UNO.
BASA's statement
Bangladesh Administrative Service Association (BASA), a platform of administration cadres, in a statement said the political thugs will be dealt with legal means. The platform also demanded immediate arrest of Barishal City Corporation mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah.
The statement was issued following an emergency meeting of the executive committee of the platform on Thursday night. The meeting was chaired by the platform’s president and senior secretary of the water resources ministry Kabir Bin Anwar.
The BASA statement also said the meeting decided to “deal with the political thugs by legal means and law will run at its own pace.”
It further said an analysis of the Barishal incident reveals how a UNO was harassed by the political thugs while carrying out government duties. They entered his residence breaking the main entrance and carried out their attack where the UNO's parents, coronavirus patients, were present. The official was abused verbally in the presence of his parents. The attackers opened fire as well. A procession was brought with abusive slogans against him.
The administration cadres’ body said the government officials rely on the able leadership of Bangabandhu’s daughter prime minister Sheikh Hasina and have been carrying out their duties with the patriotism she espouses.
BASA also said the administration cadres will remain conscious about carrying out their duties. All of them are pledge-bound to work for a transparent and accountable society through rule of law as the prime minister wishes. The cadres will not deviate from that path under any circumstances.
The clash broke out between the supporters of the AL, BCL and members of Ansar when the AL and BCL men tried to attack the residence of the UNO at Sadar Upazila Complex in Barishal Wednesday night. Several people sustained bullet wounds during the clash.
Regarding the incident, UNO Munibur Rahman said posters of state minister for water resources Col. (Retd.) Zaheed Farooque were hung up to commemorate the National Mourning Day at different places on the upazila parishad premises. Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) men came to tear down those at night.
The UNO asked them to tear down the posters on Thursday morning as people were sleeping then. But the BCL men abused him verbally and started picketing around his residence, he added.
Some Ansar members deployed at the security of UNO’s residence were injured at the attack.
BCL, however, claimed that at least 30 of their leaders and activists sustained bullet injuries.
Barishal district and city unit Awami League claimed that no one carried out attacks on UNO’s residence and alleged that the incident was a pre-planned one.
They also sought a judicial probe over the incident.