The two leaders were killed in police firing: BNP

BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) has declared a three days of mourning and six days of rallies in protest of police opening fire at a party programme in Bhola and the 'killing' of two of its leaders. The party leaders claim that Sunday's programme at Bhola had been peaceful. The leaders and activists of the party were not armed, the police were carrying firearms. It was in police firing that Swechchhasebok Dal leader Abdur Rahim Matabbor and Chhatra Dal leader Nure Alam were killed.

Leaders of the BNP made these claims at the gathering held in Dhaka prior to the janaza (funeral rites) of the Chhatra Dal leader and at the protest rallies in Bhola and Barishal.

At the janaza in Dhaka, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir declared a mourning programme from 5 to7 August. Black flags will be hoisted and the party flag will fly half-mast at the party offices all over the country during this programme. Rallies will be held in Dhaka by Chhatra Dal on 6 August, Krishak Dal on 7 August, Jubo Dal on 8 August, Sramik Dal on 10 August, Mahila Dal on 11 August and Swechchhasebok Dal on 12 August.

Chhatra Dal leader Nure Alam was injured by a bullet during clashes with the police in Bhola on Sunday and died at a Dhaka hospital on Wednesday. Taking part in his janaza in front of the BNP central office in Naya Paltan of the capital city on Thursday afternoon, the BNP secretary general called for the party leaders and workers to rise up. He said, "No more crying or weeping, we must now rise up. We must save this nation from the repression of this authoritarian fascist government."

Thousands of party men thronged the street in Naya Paltan from the morning to take part in the janaza. One side of the street was blocked for vehicle movement for some time.

Mirza Fakhrul, Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and other central leaders of the party laid flowers on the coffin of Nure Alam which was draped with the party flag. Also present there were Chhatra Dal president Kazi Rounakul Islam, general secretary Saif Mahmud and other leaders of the organisation.

The body was later taken to Bhola where a second janaza was held at the Altaj Rahman College grounds. He was then laid to rest at his family graveyard.

In the meantime, the dawn-to-dusk hartal (general strike) that had been called in Bhola, was ended by 12 noon, in an announcement by district BNP president Golam Nabi Alamgir.

He told newsmen that the hartal was withdrawn in the interests of the people. The six-hour hartal was peaceful, with shops remaining closed and vehicles remaining off the streets. Led by Jubo Dal central general secretary Abdul Monaem, leaders and activists of the local BNP and its front organisations brought out processions in support of the hartal.

Khadija begum, wife of the killed Swechchhasebok Dal leader Abdur Rahim filed a case in the Bhola court on Thursday. The case was filed against 36 police members including the officer-in-charge (OC) of Bhola Sadar police station. It was stated that 250 to 300 BNP leaders and activists prepared to take part in a protest procession after the BNP rally on 31 July. The moment the procession began, police cracked down with batons and then opened fire. Abdur Rahim was hit with a bullet and fell to the ground. The police then struck him with the butt of a rifle and killed him.

Khadija Begum's lawyer Amirul Islam said that the court took up the case and directed the Bhola police station to submit the post mortem report, the autopsy report, the medical report and other evidence and information to the court by 8 August.

A 10-member team of BNP led by the party's standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy went to Bhola on Thursday. They spoke to eye-witnesses of the 31 July incident and also with the families of the killed and injured persons. They then held a press briefing at the district BNP office in the afternoon.

Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said, the two BNP leaders were killed by police bullets. If the government is not involved in the killing, then it will quickly bring to trial the policemen responsible for the killing.

BNP central committee leader Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said, the police or members of the law enforcement never shoot at the head or chest of demonstrators. But in Bhola, the police shot at the head and the chest.