Boalia Police Station OC Saidur Rahman Bhuiyan told bdnews24.com that the Jamaat and Shibir men had taken out an unscheduled procession around 11:30am in protest against the government’s failure to get Bangladesh’s share of Teesta river waters.
While the procession was crossing the Beldarparha intersection, the Jamaat men hurled two crude bombs at waiting policemen, triggering a shower of rubber bullets from the law enforcers to disperse the crowd.
Five people, including Ekushey Television’s cameraman Hasan Al Manib, suffered minor splinter injuries during the attack.
Witnesses said that the Jamaat men chanted slogans demanding release of convicted war criminal Delwar Hossain Sayedee, also an executive council member of the Jamaat.
“Who said Sayedee is a Razakar? He is our pride. There will be anarchy if anything happens to Sayedee,” they shouted.
They also held a street rally at Beldarpara intersection. Rajshahi metropolitan city unit Jamaat Assistant Secretary Mainul Islam addressed the gathering.