Clashes broke out between police and BNP activists in different areas of Chittagong and Khulna.
In Chittagong, the incident took place at Kazir Deuri and Nasimon Bhaban areas on Monday afternoon. At least 10 to 12 people, including police, were injured.
Meanwhile, BNP activists set fire to several vehicles, including a motorcycle, on Nur Ahmed Road adjacent to Nasimon Bhaban.
Police raided Nasimon Bhaban and arrested at least 15 people, including Nagar Mahila Dal President Monowara Begum Moni and BNP leaders Akhin Sultana and Dewan Lita.
They also seized three motorcycles.
Later in the evening police also arrested BNP Convener Shahadat Hossain from a private hospital in the city.
At the time, police also arrested his personal assistant (PS) Md Maruf and local BNP leader Md Ali.
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Kotwali police officer in charge Md Nizam Uddin said when BNP leaders and activists held a rally on the road police told them to move the protest to within their party office.
In response, they threw brickbats at the police, set fire to various vehicles and attacked the police. Now the situation is under control.
BNP's Chittagong Divisional Organizing Secretary Mahbubur Rahman Shamim said: "Police attacked our leaders and activists taking part in a peaceful procession without provocation and charged them with batons."
Chittagong Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (South) SM Mehedi Hasan said they saw the police and attacked them. Five to six policemen were injured in the incident. Later, 15 people were arrested in the incident.
In Khulna, the district BNP organized a protest rally on Monday afternoon to protest the killings on Independence Day.
At around 11:30am leaders and workers gathered in front of the party office. Tensions escalated when police asked them to leave.
After that, the police dispersed the leaders and workers by charging batons. Although the police admitted going to the location, they claimed that they had not gone for any baton charge.
Metropolitan BNP Joint Office Secretary Samshuzzaman Chanchal said nine BNP leaders and activists were injured in the police baton charge. The injured are Joint Secretary of city unit of BNP Nazrul Islam Babu, Joint Convener of Batiaghata Thana BNP Khandaker Faruk Hossain, Vice-President of ward 31 Babul Hossain Gazi, district BNP members Abdul Halim, Kazi Fazlul Kabir Tito, Swachchasabak Dal member Alauddin Talukder and Motahar Hossain of Batiaghata BNP, ward 14 BNP leader Mizanur Rahman Mizan and Nagar Jubo Dal leader Shafiqul Islam Shahin.
Nazrul Islam Monju, a former BNP central organizing secretary, told a press briefing at the party office in the afternoon that a rally was to be held in front of the office as part of a central program to protest police baton charges, indiscriminate shootings and killings on Independence day.
He said that police attacked the BNP leaders and activists unprovoked and charged them with batons.
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Khulna Sadar Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ashraful Alam said the BNP was trying to hold a rally by blocking the road without permission. At the time, they were told to leave the road and go to the office to assemble.
Later, while going to the office, the leaders and activists started hurling obscenities at the police. Then the police chased them and many people were injured when they hurried up the small stairs. Police did not charge batons on the BNP leaders and activists, he said.
In Gazipur, the police chased the workers of BNP and its affiliated organizations. The incident took place at Chakkar Mor area in the southern part of the metropolis on Monday afternoon.
Police fired eight rounds of shotgun bullets to bring the situation under control. Meanwhile, Gazipur Metro sadar police station Chhatra Dal Joint Convener Raju Ahmed Joy, 28, was shot in the head.
At least five others, including leaders and activists of BNP, Juba Dal and Chhatra Dal, were injured in the incident.
Gazipur metropolitan BNP President Freedom Fighter Hasan Uddin Sarkar said the local BNP organized a protest rally at around 3pm on Monday, led by metropolitan BNP Joint Secretary Abdus Salam Shamim and others including Saiful Islam Tutul, Nure Alam, Osman Mollah and Amir Mahmud Safa.
More than half a hundred leaders and activists of the organization joined the protest at the Chayabithi intersection of the city.
When the police obstructed them, the protesters started throwing brickbats at the police. When the police charged with batons, a chase ensued between the two sides.
At that time, when the police fired a shotgun, Chhatra Dal leader Raju Ahmed Joy was shot in the head and at least four to five people were injured.
Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) sadar police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Rafiqul Islam said protesters gathered there and started vandalizing vehicles. When police stopped them, they started throwing brickbats at the police.
Police fired eight rounds of shotgun bullets, dispersing the protesters and bringing the situation under control. Legal action is being taken in this regard.
Our Khulna correspondent Hedait Hossain and Gazipur correspondent contributed to the report.
