Four killed in political violence across Bangladesh

Four people have been killed and scores injured in street battles between the police, BNP and Awami League supporters on the first anniversary of Jan 5 general elections.

News Deskbdnews24.com
Published : 5 Jan 2015, 08:40 PM
Updated : 5 Jan 2015, 09:00 PM

The BNP that did not go to last year's vote observed Monday as the ‘Murder of Democracy Day’ while the Awami League celebrated it as the ‘Constitution and Democracy Protection Day’.

Traffic stayed off the roads and rivers from Sunday and security forces launched a massive operation to prevent people from coming to Dhaka to join a BNP rally on Monday afternoon.

Leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliates outnumbered the BNP supporters on the streets of Dhaka, where assembly of people was barred.
Khaleda Zia could not join the party rally as police did not let the BNP chief get out of her Gulshan office. The police action prompted her to announce a non-stop blockade programmes across the country.
Though Dhaka witnessed stray clashes between BNP activists and police, who were joined by Awami League men, the situation in several districts including Chittagong was worse.
Miscreants in Natore shot dead two persons and the local BNP claimed 'Rana' and 'Rakib', both in their 20s, to be its activists.
The local chapter has called a dawn-to-dusk shutdown for Tuesday in the district protesting against the killings.
Natore's Superintendent of Police Basudev Banik said the two were shot around 10:30am at the town's Tebarhia intersection. They were rushed to the hospital where the doctors declared them dead.
According to locals, BNP activists gathered in the area to take out a procession when two motorcycle riders opened fire on the gathering.
"Both of the victims are our activists. Awami League members killed them," Natore district unit BNP's General Secretary Aminul Haque told bdnews24.com.
In Rajshahi, one person was shot dead and at least 20 others were injured in clashes between BNP activists and police, joined by Awami League men, at Puthia.
The BNP claimed Abdul Majid, 45, of Charghat Upazila, was its activist and called a dawn-to-dusk strike for Tuesday in the district.
Puthia Police Station Inspector (investigation) Hafizur Rahman Hafiz said there were repeated clashes at the Baneshwar Bazar in the afternoon.
He said Majid, a shopkeeper, was caught in the clashes when he tried to flee the area after shutting his shop.
Hafiz said: “Awami League supporters joined a rally at the Baneshwar intersection. Police intercepted a black-flag procession taken out by BNP supporters from the Baneshwar Bazar while it was proceeding in that direction. They started throwing stones at the police and were locked in clashes.”
He said five police personnel were injured and were given first aid.
The officer said police lobbed teargas shells and fired rubber bullets to bring the situation under control.
The Awami League, however, claimed Majid to be its supporter.
Local MP and Awami League leader Abdul Wadud Dara said: “Majid was a trader. Though he was not directly involved in politics, he would support the Awami League.”
The district's Awami Sechchhasebak League Joint Convenor Abdus Samad claimed Majid had been killed by a bullet fired by BNP supporters.
In Chapainawabganj's Shibganj, a man was shot dead when supporters of the BNP-led alliance breached a ban on gathering and clashed with police at Kansat.
Police said Jamshed Ali, 40, was shot on Monday afternoon during the clash at the Gopalnagar intersection.
He died at around 6:30pm at the Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital.
Police said at least nine others, including a policeman and a Border Guard Bangladesh member, were injured in the clash.
The BNP claimed Ali was its activist and called a 6am-6pm shutdown for Tuesday in Chapainawabganj district.
Shibganj Police Station OC Moinul Islam said opposition activists tried to take out a march from the Gopalganj intersection at around 3pm by ignoring the prohibition on gathering.
“They hurled stones and crude bombs at police,” he said.
Police and witnesses said violence broke out when the law keepers fired teargas shells and gunshots to disperse the demonstrators.
Later, police and RAB reinforcements were rushed in to control the situation.
In Chittagong, a clash between police and BNP activists foiled a rally of the party organised in front of Nasimon Bhaban in the afternoon.
The BNP claimed that police arrested around 250 of its supporters, including Chittagong north district unit Convenor Aslam Chowdhury and south district unit Vice-president Enamul Haq Enam during the clash.
The party has called a daylong shutdown in Chittagong district including the port city for Tuesday in protest against ‘police attack' and arrest of its leaders and activists.
In Bhola, 25 people were injured in clashes between police and BNP activists. The agitating BNP supporters vandalised vehicles at Bangla School intersection of the district town in the morning.
Over 50 people were injured in a similar battles in Narayanganj. Of the injured five, including a camera crew of a private TV station, were shot.
In Khagrhachharhi, at least 20 people, including journalists, were injured when activists of the BNP and Awami League fought in the area spanning from Court Road to Shapla Square.
Local BNP office and five shops were vandalised during the clashes.
At Maijdee in Noakhali, at least five BNP activists were injured during a clash with police. Nearly 45 leaders and activists of the party were arrested.
Clashes were reported also from Chandpur, Sunamganj, Pabna, Brahmanbarhia, Jhenaidah, Rangamati, Sylhet, Habiganj and Bogra.