At least five people were killed and several others were injured when demonstrators protesting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh clashed with police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) troopers in Brahmanbaria.
The deceased are Juru Alam, 35, Badal Mia, 24, Sujon Mia, 22, Kawsar, 25 and Jubayer, 14.
Witnesses said clashes erupted on Saturday afternoon when protesters gathered in the Nandanpur area in Sadar upazila and launched an attack on law enforcers.
Police and BGB officials opened fire to disperse the crowd.
Five people with gunshot wounds were rushed to the local state-run hospital, where the doctor on duty pronounced them dead.
Dr Rana Nuru Shams, resident physician at Brahmanbaria General Hospital, said they were brought in dead.
Protests spread after Friday’s skirmishes
Clashes and arrests have been reported across the country as demonstrators, agitated by the deaths during Friday’s anti-Modi protests, took to the streets.
Chittagong’s Hathazari upazila remained at the heart of the tension following the death of four people in the area on Friday afternoon.
Madrasa students built a wall on the Chittagong-Khagrachhari Highway on Saturday morning and resumed their demonstrations, totally blocking the movement of traffic. They also installed collapsible gates on the highway, in front of Hathazari Madrasa.
Amid the tense atmosphere prevailing in the area, additional police and BGB forces have been deployed to keep the situation in check.
Protests over the Indian prime minister’s Dhaka visit raged on since Thursday and turned violent after Jummah prayers on Friday, leading to the death of four people in Chittagong and one in Brahmanbaria.
In Habiganj, Chhatra Dal leaders and activists became embroiled in a clash with police around 1pm, leaving 15 people, including eight members of the law enforcement agency, injured.
Police fired 132 shotgun bullets and 21 tear gas shells to disperse the protesters, who hurled brickbats at the policemen.
Police detained seven people, including the son and brother of Habiganj Municipality Mayor GK Gaus, after the confrontation which lasted for nearly an hour.
Habiganj police station OC Mashuk Ali said the police had brought the situation under control but eight of his colleagues had been injured in the process.
In Sylhet, police arrested 14 leaders and activists of the Jamaat-e-Islami and Chhatra Shibir after a clash in the afternoon.
They had gathered in the Naya Sarak area of the city around 1pm to demonstrate against Modi’s visit.
At one stage, the protesters tried to bring out a procession but were obstructed by police.
In retaliation, the demonstrators started throwing brickbats at the on-duty policemen, prompting the latter to baton-charge them.
The situation was brought under control by 4pm. A case would be filed in this connection, said police.
Similar anti-Modi protests took place in Comilla as well.
Hefezat-e-Islam leaders and activists held a rally at Comilla’s Kandirpar Town Hall ground and later marched towards major intersections of the city.
