BNP men clashed with the police in front of the party's Naya Paltan office in Dhaka on Wednesday afternoon as tension mounts over the venue for the party's mass rally in the capital on December 10.
Witnesses said that some senior leaders including BNP Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas and Gayeshwar Chandra Roy were holding a press conference at the office on Wednesday afternoon while the activists were staying outside the office.
Bangla TribuneAdditional police stationed in front of the office around 2:30pm and the clash took place around half an hour later.
When BNP leaders and activists took up position outside the party office around 3pm and started chanting slogans, the police reportedly asked them to leave the place.
Reporters present on the spot said that BNP activists threw bricks at the police. To counter that, police fired tear shell. Numerous BNP activists and a police official became injured during the time.
Earlier at 12pm, police deployed multiple armoured vehicles, prison vans and additional striking force in Naya Paltan area.
Bangla TribuneShayrul Kabir Khan, a member of BNP's media cell, said: “Law enforcement are still attacking BNP's leaders and activists. It is not yet possible to confirm how many people have been injured.”
Officer-in-charge of Paltan police station Salahuddin Ahmed told Bangla Tribune that the policemen were working to bring the situation under control. It will be possible to give details about the matter later.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said: “When our leaders and activists gathered there to know about the Saturday's rally, police attacked them, leaving many injured.”
Biplab Sarkar, joint commissioner (operation) of DMP headquarters, said police took action for ensuring security of the people. As per the directive of the DMP commissioner, the police are doing whatever is needed to maintain law and order.
