Jamaat, BNP offices vandalised

The offices of Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP were vandalised in Cox’s Bazar’s Pekua on Sunday after a leader of the Awami Swecchasebak League was shot.

Locals say activists of the two parties clashed with those of Awami League during the shutdown called by the 12 small parties.

Abdul Latif Jewel, joint convenor for the upazila’s Swecchasebak League, and at least 10 others were injured in the clash, police say.

BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami’s offices were attacked following the clashes, for which the two parties have blamed the ruling party.

Jewel was admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital with bullet injuries. Five activists of Awami League and Bangladesh Chhatra League are among the injured.

A group of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir activists had enforced a blockade in the area near ‘Ashraful Ulum Madrasa’ in support of the shutdown at around 11am. Clashes erupted when a group of Chhatra League activists tried to stop them.

Shibir activists used loudspeakers of the madrasa’s mosque to gather more activists of BNP and Shibir, triggering fierce clashes.

“They shot at us. Chhatra Dal President Yusuf Rubel was leading them,” said Abul Kashem, Awami League General Secretary for Pekua upazila.

Police brought the situation under control at around 2pm by firing five rounds of blank shots, Pekua Police Station OC Anwar Hossain told bdnews24.com.

Pekua upazila BNP President Bahadur Shah said, “Jamaat clashed with Awami League. We were not involved, but still our office was vandalised.”

BNP and Jamaat backed the countrywide general strike.

Two others injured in the clash – Harunur Rashid, 40 and Habibur Rahman, 30 – are reportedly activists of Jamaat-e-Islami, locals say.

Cox’s Bazar did not witness violence during the shutdown on Sunday. Pro-shutdown supporters were not seen on the streets.

However, no long-route buses left from Cox’s Bazar, but rickshaws, auto rickshaws and taxis were seen plying the streets as usual.