Grand rally
BNP leaders come under attack in Mymensingh
Awami League leaders and activists declared to take positions at different spots in the city
Leaders and activists of Chaatra League and Jubo League have allegedly carried out an attack on the BNP men in Mymensingh on Friday night, hours before a divisional rally of the opposition party.
The incident took place in front of the residence of BNP leader and former state minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain in the city’s Town Hall area around 8:45pm, said BNP organising secretary Syed Emran Saleh.
Three BNP men are claimed to have sustained injuries in the attack.
However, Noushel Ahmed, president of Mymensingh city Chaatra League, said they did not carry out any attack. Jubo League president Azharul Islam did not respond when he was contacted over phone for his statement regarding the attack.
The BNP called the divisional rally on Saturday, to press home their demand for a poll-time government and in protest against the rise in fuel oil and commodity prices. It is a part of the party’s series programme.
Stay at the venue
Fearing a hindrance on the way to the rally, hundreds of BNP leaders and activists reached Mymensingh a day earlier and spent the night in the playground of Mymensingh Polytechnic Institute where the rally is supposed to take place.
Syed Emran Saleh alleged that the authorities suspended bus operation on the Netrokona-Mymensingh route, marking the BNP rally. However, Netrokona superintendent of police (SP) Foyez Ahmed spurned the allegation.
Meanwhile, Awami League leaders and activists declared to take positions at different spots on the day.
“We will not hold a rally, but will foil any attempt to create anarchy by the BNP men,” said Moazzem Hossain, secretary of district Awami League.
Saiful Islam, a Jubo Dal activist from Atpara in Netrokona, said on Friday night that the bus operation from Netrokona to Mymensingh was suspended. He reached the rally venue on Friday night fearing that the government and ruling party might get tougher on BNP men on Saturday.
Nurunnahar, general secretary of Mohila Dal’s Madan upazila in Netrokona, also arrived in Mymensingh on Friday night and spent the night at the venue along with other fellow partymen.
The BNP sought permission to hold a rally at the circuit house ground in the city, but the authorities granted permission for the polytechnic institute. Hundreds of BNP men started gathering at the venue soon after the permission.