Shot was fired during Karwan Bazar mayhem to kill me, BNP chief Khaleda Zia claims

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has claimed the attack on her motorcade at Karwan Bazar aimed at killing her.

“The government has gone berserk seeing the response we’ve got in the campaign for elections to Dhaka South, North and Chittagong cities,” she said in a street rally at Malibagh on Tuesday.

The rally was a part of BNP-endorsed Dhaka South City Corporation mayor contender Mirza Abbas’ campaign.

“Gunshot was fired to kill me,” Khaleda told her audience.

The BNP has blamed the Awami League for the attack, while ministers and ruling party leaders held her security personnel responsible.

They claimed they had taken on the ‘agitated people’ and triggered the incident.

The BNP also claimed shots had been fired at Khaleda’s SUV. Stones thrown during the attack broke a glass of the car.

BNP activists with Khaleda’s motorcade also raised slogans and traded brickbats with supporters of Awami League-backed mayor candidate Sayeed Khokon at Naya Paltan.

At Malibagh’s street rally, Khaleda said, “This illegal tyrant government thought the BNP would not join this election and they will put their people in offices.”

She criticised the ruling party saying, “The city has become a city of garbage and mosquito. You have seen the condition of the streets. There is no

water, gas and power.”

The former prime minister also spoke about the sexual harassment of women at Dhaka University during the Bengali New Year celebrations.

“Women are tortured regularly now. What happened in Dhaka University, mothers and sisters...be alert now.

“Otherwise, you will not be able to lead a safe life with your children,” she said.

She spoke about the ‘disappearance’ of BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed before urging the people to raise their voice against abduction and murder.

The BNP chief alleged that Bangladesh Chhatra League members were linked to the bank robbery at Ashulia earlier in the day.

She asked the people to vote for the three mayor candidates supported by her party.

"We will slowly move towards democracy after the city elections," she said.