Khaleda Zia continues city poll campaign in same SUV that came under attack

Khaleda Zia is out in the same SUV that came under attack on Monday while she campaigned for her party-endorsed Dhaka city corporations’ mayor runners.

The BNP chairperson rode the damaged vehicle to continue her campaign on Tuesday evening.
 
Her motorcade went to Shahjahanpur from her Gulshan residence as she interacted with the people for Dhaka South mayor candidate Mirza Abbas.
 
Earlier, in the afternoon, BNP Standing Committee member Moyeen Khan showed the vehicle and gave an account of the attack to the diplomats of at least 17 countries at Khaleda’s Gulshan office.
 
The former prime minister’s motorcade came under attack at the capital’s Karwan Bazar Monday while she was canvassing for the BNP-backed Dhaka North mayor aspirant Tabith Awal.
 
She managed to leave the scene unharmed but her SUV and other vehicles in the convoy were damaged.

Several of her security staff and journalists covering the event were also injured.
 
The BNP has blamed the Awami League for the attack, while ministers and ruling party leaders held her security personnel responsible, claiming they had taken on the ‘agitated people’ and triggered the incident.

The BNP also claimed shots had been fired at Khaleda’s Nissan SUV. A glass of the vehicle was broken by stones thrown during the attack.
 
Her security officials accompanied her Tuesday on their damaged vehicles. A police team in a vehicle was also seen at the end of the convoy.
 
The police pickup was not a part of the motorcade on Monday.
 
Khaleda distributed leaflets and sought votes from the people for Mirza Abbas while campaigning at Shahjahanpur.
 
BNP Vice-Chairperson Selima Rahman was with her in the vehicle like on Monday.

The Election Commission had earlier in the day warned the BNP chief against campaigning, saying that, although she held no government office, her motorcade during the campaigns was hampering city life.
 
Diplomats shown damaged SUV
 
Foreign diplomats stationed in Dhaka were invited by the BNP on Tuesday to visit Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office.
 
Senior leader Moyeen Khan had briefed them while showing the damaged Nissan SUV and a ‘bullet mark’ on one of its windows.
 
The foreign officials were from 17 embassies that included the US, India, Russia, France, Australia, Canada, Turkey, Japan, Singapore, Denmark, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan.
 
They were also shown the four vehicles of the BNP chief’s security personnel damaged during Monday’s attack.
 
The BNP did not brief the reporters about the diplomats’ visit.