Govt agents behind attack: Fakhrul

The BNP has blamed what it calls government ‘agents’ for the attack on the party’s headquarters amid an ongoing feud within its students’ wing, and has questioned police inaction.

“Over the past two days, some agents, backed by the government, have attacked the party office and burst bombs. More than 30 people have been hurt,” BNP acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said at an event on Tuesday.

He said, “There were no police around the office at the time of the attack, giving those agents a free run.”

Ever since Rajib Ahsan and Akramul Hasan were made the President and the General Secretary respectively of a new committee of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, on Oct 14, leaders denied positions and their supporters have been protesting the move.

On Sunday, the Chhatra Dal office was attacked when members of the new committee went there. The BNP office, too, came under attack and bombs were burst.

The disgruntled student leaders withdrew their agitation only after Fakhrul’s assurance that their grievance would be looked into.

The police had started a case against about 90 unnamed persons after the fracas, accusing them of vandalism, bursting bombs, and obstructing police duties.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, police arrested 22 leaders and activists belonging to rival factions from around Naya Paltan and the BNP offices.

At the discussion held at the National Press Club in the afternoon, Mirza Fakhrul alleged, “I hear police personnel and a water cannon have been positioned in front of the party office. They have arrested Chhatra Dal leaders and activists. They are being arrested whenever they are coming to the party office.”

He also claimed the government was preventing the BNP form carrying out its organisational work. “Even discussions are not being allowed. It seems the worst form autocracy is in force in the country."

He alleged that those in power were trying to divert the attention of the people, aware of their imminent down fall.

“The government, in trying to cling on to power permanently, is pushing the country into instability by inflicting unspeakable atrocities on the people,” he alleged.

“Charge-sheets have been filed against me in 24 cases,” the BNP spokesperson said, adding that senior party leaders were also being implicated in successive cases.

The discussion was arranged by the National Democratic Party in the memory of language movement stalwart Abdul Matin.

Mirza Fakhrul alleged the government had not shown the legendary figure the respect he deserved.

Fakhrul went to the party office after the event. Chhatra Dal President Rajib Ahsan and General Secretary Akramul Hasan, too, went there.