BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s motorcade came under attack in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar yesterday when she was campaigning for the upcoming city polls. Khaleda got away unhurt but several members of her entourage were injured.
According to witnesses, she was speaking at a rally standing at the door of her car near the Karwan Bazar kitchen market around 6pm, seeking votes for BNP-backed mayoral candidate for Dhaka north Tabith M Awal.
At the same time, a group of people were holding a black flag rally near the gate of the kitchen market behind Khaleda’s car. At one point, someone hurled a watermelon rind at her car. The miscreants fled the spot after Khaleda’s security personnel chased them.
In the meantime, another group of campaigners of the ruling Awami League had just finished an election meeting near the kitchen market. The meeting was in favour of the ruling party backed mayoral candidate Annisul Huq and local ward councillor candidate whose symbol is a pumpkin.
Those who fled the spot after being chased by Chairperson’s Security Force (CSF) joined the second group. They soon organised themselves into a mob of 50-60 people and returned to where Khaleda was speaking.
Before she could finish her speech, they attacked the BNP chief’s motorcade from behind, hurling bricks and coconut shells at her car damaging a window.
The former prime minister, however, managed to get inside the car in time, unhurt. But a party spokesperson said five to seven of her security personnel were injured because they were trying to cover the window that Khaleda was sitting next to.
The motorcade tried to flee the area to avoid the attack but could not because of traffic. In the few minutes that they had to remain static, the attackers, most of whom had sticks and steel pipes, pounced on the vehicles. As the cars tried to make way through traffic, some people were hurling bricks and coconut shells at Khaleda’s car from near the entrance of the Palli Bhaban.
When traffic eased, the motorcade sped towards Moghbazar via FDC, but in the meantime all their vehicles were vandalised. The attackers chased them as far as the fish market before the rail crossing. They also vandalised several other vehicles in the area.
The attackers then got organised into a procession as they were coming back to Karwan Bazar chanting slogans. Witnesses claimed they could not make out what the slogans were.
However, several media outlets reported the attackers were chanting: “The soil of Karwan Bazar is the stronghold of Chhatra League [ruling party’s student body].”
There were several policemen in the area during the 10-minute incident, but witnesses said they did not do anything.
This reporter spoke to several policemen. A sub-inspector said there was a duty changeover after the incident and he did not know what had happened.
Mazharul Islam, officer-in-charge of the Tejgaon police station, said when Khaleda Zia went to Karwan Bazar, local businessmen brought out a black-flag procession protesting the losses they had suffered in the BNP-enforced hartals and blockade. “Soon there was a misunderstanding between the protesters and Khaleda’s entourage, sparking a skirmish.”
Asked if anyone was detained or any case was filed in connection, the Tejgaon OC replied in the negative.
Junior minister’s version
When contacted last night, State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal claimed that Khaleda Zia’s companions instigated the attack and held her personal security force responsible.
“I visited the spot, talked to the businessmen, witnesses and police officials in Karwan Bazar. The businessmen were angry with her because a large number of buses and trucks were damaged in the area during the BNP-enforced hartals. That was why they were showing her black flags.
“Seeing these, a CSF member got hold of one of the protesters and started beating him up. When the other local businessmen saw this, they tried to stop the CSF man. That triggered the unwanted situation,” Kamal told the Dhaka Tribune last night.
The junior minister also claimed that the CSF men used firearms and beat up at least seven local Awami League leaders, injuring them badly. “Some of them have lost fingers and others had broken legs .... We will continue to keep you updated after investigating the incident. But if the injured Awami League leaders want, then they can take legal action.”
Gulshan security drama
Earlier on the day, Khaleda’s Press Secretary Shairul Kabir Khan claimed the police personnel deployed near her Gulshan residence had been withdrawn for no apparent reason.
When contacted, SM Jahangir Alam Sarker, a deputy commissioner of police, said: “According to protocol, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is not entitled to get police protection. But as she is a former three-time prime minister and the chief of one of the biggest political parties of the country, we gave her protection based on intelligence report.”
Asked why the policemen were withdrawn, he said: “Khaleda Zia did not get any police protection during campaigning because she or her party never sought protection from us.”
Yesterday was Khaleda’s third day of electioneering in favour of the BNP-backed candidates. On Sunday, she faced protests when she went to Uttara to campaign for Tabith.
