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.
Police arrested at least 90 opposition activists during Saturday's hours-long protest announced by BNP's Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir from a rally at Naya Paltan on Friday.
BNP has been demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to allow the installation of a caretaker government to oversee the next general election.
On Saturday, BNP activists set buses on fire and exploded cocktails, said Faruk Hossain, DMP deputy commissioner for media.
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.
Faruk said that BNP leaders and activists, armed with sticks, started gathering at Gabtoli, Abdullahpur, Dholaikhal, Uttara, and Matuail points from 11am on Saturday. At one point, the BNP men blocked all the important roads. When police tried to remove them to ease traffic movement and public suffering, they started throwing brickbats at the police and their vehicles.
“They detonated cocktails in different parts of the capital. In many places, cars were vandalized, and buses were set on fire. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to bring the situation under control. At least 90 people were arrested from the rally held without permission,” the deputy commissioner added.
Faruk said DB's Lalbagh Zone team leader Mostafa Kamal PPM, SI Md Ismail Hossain, ASI Delwar Hossain and Constable Syed Jinnat Ali were also injured in the attack by BNP men while police tried to prevent them from blocking the road in Bongshal, Sutrapur and Dholaikhal areas. They are being treated at Central Police Hospital.
Earlier in the day, BNP's sit-in program at the key entry points of Dhaka was marred by violence and arson, leaving an unspecified number of people injured. Several vehicles were torched in different areas, including Matuail and Shyamoli, during the clashes between BNP activists and police.
Clashes broke out between BNP leaders, activists and police when the former gathered at several entry points of Dhaka to observe their five-hour sit-in program.
