Blasts near BNP offices

Several hand bombs exploded in front of the BNP’s offices in Naya Paltan, just before leaders left out of its student affiliate's committee were to congregate for protest.

The blasts around 12pm on Sunday did not leave anyone injured, said Paltan Police OC Morshed Alam.

But they disrupted traffic in front of the office for a while.

Police cleared that later with additional reinforcements.

The hand bombs were hurled sometime before those left out of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal’s new committee were to meet in the area.

Supporters of the JCD dissidents did not turn up for the meeting after the explosions.

“We think the hand bombs were exploded because of internal rivalries within the Chhatra Dal,” said OC Morshed. “We’re trying to find out who are responsible.”

File Photo

The Chhatra Dal’s new committee headed by Rajib Ahsan and Akramul Hasan was announced on Oct 14, prompting immediate protests from those who were not included.

The violent protests led to vandalism of the BNP’s offices and the mural of its founder Ziaur Rahman at its front gate was also not spared.

Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Mirza Abbas, convener of BNP’s Dhaka metropolitan unit, talked to the angry leaders but were unable to reach a solution.

The left-out leaders then attacked vehicles carrying BNP leaders Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee and Sultan Salauddin Tuku while they were on way to pay tribute to Ziaur Rahman’s grave with the BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Nov 7.

A press notice signed by BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi then expelled three protesting leaders for violating party discipline by rejecting the new committee and show caused several others.