1 killed, 30 hurt as BNP, police clash in Bhola

A local activist of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was killed and 30 people including seven policemen were injured in a clash between BNP activists and police during the party’s protest rally at Kalinath Roy Bazar in Sadar upazila of Bhola district on Sunday.

The deceased was identified as Abdur Rahim, an activist of BNP.

As part of BNP’s demonstration programme in districts, the leaders and activists of the party gathered in front of their district party office in the morning.

At one stage, police obstructed them when they tried to stage demonstrations at Kalinath Roy Bazar around 11:30 am, said additional superintendent of Bhola police Farhad Sardar.

The leaders and activists pelted brickbats targeting police, prompting them to fire bullets and lobbed teargas shells, triggering a clash that left one people dead, he said.

Humayun Kabir Shopan, joint secretary of district unit BNP, said, “A BNP activist identified as Abdur Rahim was killed in police firing.”

Additional police have been deployed in the area to avert further trouble. A tense situation has been prevailing in the area following the clash.

BNP on 26 July announced three-day demonstrations across the country to protest against the ongoing load-shedding and mismanagement in the power and energy sector.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the programme at a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office.