Several homes, party offices and business establishments belonging to leaders and supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its affiliated organizations were vandalized and set on fire in Tungipara upazila of Gopalganj on Sunday.
BNP leaders alleged that activists of the banned Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League carried out the attacks in different areas of the upazila from Sunday afternoon, November 15.
According to local sources, Awami League and its affiliated organizations' activists brought out a procession at Pakurtia Bazar in Dumuria Union around 2pm. They later set fire to 2 business establishments belonging to BNP supporters beside Pakurtia Madrasa.
At around 3:30pm, another procession vandalized and set fire to the Jubo Dal office at Patgati Bazar.
At around 4pm, the attackers set fire to the house of Jasim Sheikh, former convener of the upazila Swechchhasebak Dal, in Sriramkandi.
At around 5pm, a shop belonging to BNP supporter Mahmud Biswas was set on fire at the Chowrangi intersection in Gawhardanga. Around the same time, a business establishment belonging to Abu Zafar Khan, organizational secretary of the municipal BNP, was vandalized at Tungipara Bazar.
Later, at around 8pm, the residence of Imdad Molla, president of the municipal BNP, at Patgati Bazar was vandalized and set on fire. The house of Gopal Sarkar, organizational secretary of the municipal BNP, was also vandalized around the same time.
At around 8:30pm, activists of the banned Chhatra League vandalized the house of Yen Munshi, convener of the municipal Chhatra Dal, in Patgati Madhyapara village.
Later, at around 9pm, a branch of Grameen Bank in Patgati, Tungipara, was set on fire.
Tungipara municipal BNP President Imdad Molla said: “Bangladesh is a democratic country. Everyone has the right to engage in politics here. Just because we are members of the BNP, will activists of banned organizations vandalize and burn down our homes? We demand punishment for those responsible.”
Earlier, on Saturday afternoon, November 14, activists of the banned Awami League and its affiliated organizations vandalized the office of Farid Gazi, joint convener of the upazila Jubo Dal, at Borni Bazar.
Later that night, the BNP office in Kushli Union was vandalized and set on fire.
Tungipara police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ayub Ali said he had heard about incidents of vandalism and arson in different parts of the upazila since the afternoon.
However, he said no one had submitted a written complaint to the police station regarding the incidents.
