The agitation of the deprived and aggrieved Chhatra Dal leaders turned into a violent clash yesterday leaving a dozen injured and a number of senior leaders assaulted.
The skirmish halted the traffic movement in Nayapaltan area for more than an hour.
Post-deprived JCD leaders padlocked the main gate of the BNP’s central office confining some senior BNP leaders, including party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Jubo Dal President Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Student Affairs Secretary Sahiduddin Chowhdury Annie and Dhaka city unit BNP Member Secretary Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel were also confined to the party office.
Not only the senior leaders but also the new committee leaders who entered the party office around 6am after they broke open the door put under lock and key on Saturday were also inside the office with senior leaders.
The situation worsened as the deprived leaders adamantly opposed the new committee and demanded expulsion of Annie and former student leader Sulatn Salahuddin Tuku.
Fakhrul then invited their representatives to talk with him just before the Magrib prayer.
Fakhrul and five leaders of JCD dissident group held an hour-long meeting where Annie was not present and the deprived leaders said they got assurance from Fakhrul that their demands will be conveyed to party Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Deprived leader Rakibul Islam Royal said they had postponed their agitation programmes until Monday.
“The acting secretary general told us that our demands will be conveyed to the chairperson and her decision will be informed on Monday,” he said.
Deprived JCD leaders Rakibul Islam Royal, Tariqul Islam Titu, Moshiur
Rahman Mishu, Shamsuzzaman Khokan and Rafiqul Islam held meeting with Fakhrul, Rizvi, Alal and Sohel.
Annie was not allowed into the meeting room.
Earlier in the morning, new JCD President Rajib Ahsan and General Secretary Akramul Hasan along with some hundred leaders and activists entered the party and opened the JCD’s central office located on the 3rd floor of the BNP office.
The new committee leaders and activists took position in front of the party office and chanted slogans in support of the new committee and termed the rebels as agents of Awami League.
Around 12pm some hundred deprived JCD leaders and activists led by joint secretary of previous committee Tarikul Islam Titu and incumbent committee leader Riazul Islam Riaz came in front of the office and chanted slogans demanding the cancellation of the new committee.
The supporters loyal to the new committee and the deprived leaders chanted slogans standing next to each others.
At one stage deprived leaders Rakibul Islam Royal, Moshiur Rahman Mishu, Shamsuzaman Khokon, Rafiqul Islam, Rabiul Islam and some others joined the procession brought out by the dissidents.
At 2pm, tension in both the camps ran high and at this point Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel arrived at the spot and tried to bring the situation under control.
Rizvi asked the deprived leaders to leave the place. As the dissidents were leaving the place supporters of the incumbent committee chanted provocative slogans. The situation went out of control as two hand-made bombs were blasted by deprived leaders leading to a clash between the two groups.
The new committee leaders and supporters took shelter inside the party office while the deprived leaders locked the party office’s main entrance and resorted to vandalism.
At one stage they damaged the mural of party founder late president Ziaur Rahman located at the entrance of the building. They hurled brick chips at the office. Some new committee leaders were also assaulted.
When the handmade bombs went off police were around the building but they played the role of silent spectators. At least 12 were injured in the clash.
An ambulance rushed to the spot but the deprived leaders prevented the ambulance from carrying the injured leaders. After half an hour they were finally allowed to take them to the hospital.
New committee Vice-President Tarekuzzaman Tarek was seen lying on the third floor of the building with his head injured along with some others with injuries either in their legs or hands.
The senior leaders were confined to the office rooms until evening.
After getting assurance from Fakhrul, the deprived leaders left the spot and then the senior leaders started leaving the office one after another.
On Saturday, the deprived leaders also assaulted a leader of the new committee and burnt effigies of the former student leaders.
Party Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Tuesday night approved the 201-member new committee.
On Wednesday, the leaders deprived of the posts in the new committee hurled several handmade bombs in front of the BNP’s Nayapaltan office and brought out a procession demanding cancellation of the new committee.
Around 10pm the same day, some other members of Chhatra Dal blasted several crude bombs in front of the Gulshan office of the party chairperson when the Chairperson was still inside the office.
