BNP chief Khaleda Zia attacked during city election campaign in Dhaka

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been attacked while campaigning for party-endorsed city election candidates in Dhaka.

Chief Political Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 20 April 2015, 12:35 PM
Updated : 20 April 2015, 12:35 PM

Her party blamed the attack on the government and called a countrywide shutdown for Wednesday.

However, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina dubbed the incident a “drama” staged by her main political adversary.

Khaleda came under attack around 6pm on Monday at Karwan Bazar where she was addressing a roadside rally, witnesses said.

The former prime minister was halfway into her electoral pitch when slogans deriding her were shouted. “Chhi Chhi [Shame on you] Khaleda” reverberated from the kitchen market.

She was leaning out from the car through an open door and speaking to the crowd using a loud hailer in front of the Karupalli Bhaban.

She rushed through the remainder of her speech and the attack started immediately after she ended at 6pm, according to time stamps on photos taken by bdnews24.com photographer Asif Mahmud Ove.

Khaleda urged the voters to elect party-endorsed Dhaka North mayor candidate Tabith Awal for a “clean city”.

Photo: asif mahmud ove/ bdnews24.com

Photo: asif mahmud ove/ bdnews24.com

Witnesses said that objects and brickbats were hurled at the gathering from the buildings nearby in the first bout of attacks.

Khaleda ducked into the car and her motorcade started moving out towards Bangladesh Film Development Corporation.

A group of unidentified miscreants wielding sticks, logs and sledgehammers launched the attack.

The BNP chief’s security staff managed to get her out of the area unharmed but the vehicle she was on was damaged along with almost all the others in the motorcade, bdnews24.com Chief Political Correspondent Sumon Mahmud said.

Several of her security staff and journalists covering the event were injured. Many of them were seen bleeding from head wounds.

Her security affairs adviser Maj Gen (retd) Fazle Elahi Akbar claimed shots were fired at the BNP chief’s vehicle.

But the claim could not be verified independently.

Khaleda went to Shahjahanpur after the attack and campaigned for BNP-backed Dhaka South mayor contender Mirza Abbas.

A police officer on duty at the scene told TV reporters that they could not identify or detain any of the attackers.

Photo: asif mahmud ove/ bdnews24.com

Photo: asif mahmud ove/ bdnews24.com

Prime Minister Hasina said, “She (Khaleda) is staging drama everywhere after she stayed in her office 91 days, exploded bombs and torched buses to put the people through turmoil.”

Khaleda stayed at her Gulshan office for three months since January after police prevented her from leaving the premises to lead anti-government agitations.

She announced an indefinite blockade that left over 120 people dead, mostly in firebombings, and Bangladesh’s economy bleeding.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Tejgaon Division, Wahidul Islam, told bdnews24.com: “The businessmen were angry about the shutdowns-blockade.

“They (Karwan Bazar businessmen) had plans to wave black flags at Khaleda Zia. This happened in the meantime.”

However, a police official requesting not to be named told bdnews24.com that they had observed activities of the ruling party’s student and youth wing activists in the area prior to the attack.

Photo: asif mahmud ove/ bdnews24.com

Photo: asif mahmud ove/ bdnews24.com

BNP’s Standing Committee Member Moudud Ahmed alleged the Bangladesh Chhatra League activists spearheaded the attack aided by police.

“This was a planned attack to eliminate the BNP chairperson,” he claimed.

Khaleda boycotted 2014 general elections but endorsed candidates for the Apr 28 city polls.

She introduced her party-backed Dhaka mayor candidates at a function on Apr 14. She urged voters to stage a ‘silent revolution’ and make her party-endorsed candidates win the polls.

On Monday, police deployed at her house were withdrawn as she currently holds no post that entitles her to police protection.

Hasina had urged people to question Khaleda, wherever she went to campaign, over the violence during the anti-government movement.

The BNP chief hit the campaign trail on Saturday. A day later, ruling Awami League activists obstructed her campaign in Uttara.

Photo: asif mahmud ove/ bdnews24.com

Photo: asif mahmud ove/ bdnews24.com

Mayor aspirant Awal said the obstruction was hampering polls environment.

On Sunday, Khaleda said, “I’m receiving overwhelming response. I hope our candidates will sweep the polls.”

The BNP chief criticised the government that had “snatched the people’s voting rights”.

She said the people would respond through a “ballot revolution” in the Apr 28 polls.