Central Awami League leader and former state minister Tarana Halim has termed the opposition BNP a terrorist organization for Saturday's clashes and arson attacks, and thinks the opposition party may be slapped with sanctions.
Talking to reporters after attending a rally in Tangail's Delduar area on Sunday, she said the BNP could not guarantee peace during their so-called peaceful program.
The ruling party organized the rally to protest “unrest and arson unleashed by the BNP and Jamaat”.
“We saw them attacking a police van yesterday (Saturday) while 17 policemen were also injured during the clashes. One officer sustained severe injuries. Also, many leaders and activists of the Awami League were also injured. Many have been hospitalized,” she said.
“One person's wrist was severed from his hand. What else can be crueler than this?” she questioned.
A member of the AL's Central Executive Committee, Tarana Halim mentioned the new US visa policy which says actions disrupting the election process will be treated as a disqualification. “Now the people are waiting to see what action will be taken against the BNP and what sanction is issued against the party,” she added.
Dhaka TribuneIf arson and attack on the police are not crimes against foreign friends, then one must understand their motives. In that case, they must have been acting on behalf of a lobbyist group or for money, she further added.
At least 20 policemen were injured after being attacked by BNP activists during the party's sit-in program — held without permission from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) — at different entry points of the capital on Saturday.
On Saturday, BNP activists set buses on fire and exploded cocktails, said Faruk Hossain, DMP deputy commissioner for media.
Police arrested at least 90 opposition activists during Saturday's hours-long protest.
The BNP has been demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the installation of a caretaker government to oversee the next general election.
Among the injured, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic South) SM Mehedi Hasan and Sub-Inspector (SI) Nahid of Sutrapur police station were undergoing treatment for serious injuries, reported UNB.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud visited injured party leaders and activists who were receiving treatment at Crescent Hospital in the capital's Uttara on Saturday night.
The minister said: "As the BNP failed to create chaos on Friday, they attacked our party members on Saturday during a peaceful procession. They burned around 60 buses, attacked police cars, and set fire to cars near Uttara at night. It's evident that they are resorting to arson tactics similar to 2014-15."