BNP, allies stage demo amidst police obstruction [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

BNP, allies stage demo amidst police obstruction

Local September 07, 2015

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance on Sunday staged countrywide demonstrations, amidst police obstruction at places, protesting against the latest power and gas price hike.
Police allegedly arrested some activists of the alliance in different parts of the country and some district-level leaders and activists were injured in police attacks.
Senior alliance leaders were, however, hardly visible in demonstrations held at thana-levels in the capital and centrally no demonstration was organised in the city.
On September 2, the alliance announced the countrywide protest rallies and processions for Sunday after Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission on August 27 increased the prices of electricity and gas with effect from September 1.
This was the alliance’s first agitation after its non-stop countrywide road-rail-waterway blockade from January to April.
The alliance at some places did not stage demonstrations in fear of arrest, police action and lack of coordination amongst the alliance leaders, said alliance leaders.
Liberal Democratic Party senior joint secretary general Shahdat Hossain Selim said that he along with leaders of some other alliance partners alliance was waiting for attending demonstrations, but ultimately failed because of lack of coordination.
Echoing Selim, Bangladesh National Awami Party secretary general
Golam Mostofa Bhuiyan said that he did not get any information or message about where and when to join demonstration in the city.
BNP assistant organising secretary Abdus Salam Azad said that rallies and processions were held at places in the capital including Dhanmondi, Banani, Mohammadpur, Shahbag, Mugda, Shahjahanpur, Khilgaon, Dakkhin Khan and Bangsal.
He alleged that police at places obstructed rallies and processions.
In reply to a query, Salam, also Jubadal senior vice-president, said that at some places BNP individually staged demonstrations while at other places the alliance held demonstrations.
BNP in a release said that rallies and processions could not be organised in several districts including Magura, Rangpur, Faridpur, Gopalganj, Narayanganj, Shariatpur, Naogaon and Mymensingh because of police obstruction.
It said that police foiled processions at places including Pirojpur and Noakhali.
The release signed by BNP assistant office secretary Asadul Kairm Shahin said that police charged baton on Faridpur district BNP president Jahurul Hoq Shahjada Mia and arrested BNP leader Hiru at a procession at Motijheel in Dhaka.
New Age correspondent in Barisal reported that police foiled demonstration by cordoning off the district BNP office, chasing party activists and charging baton on them.
Five BNP activists were injured and three of them were detained by police.
Kotwali police station officer-in-charge Sakhawat Hossain said that they acted as per direction of higher authority to ensure easy traffic on busy hour of starting weekdays.
Munshiganj correspondent reported that police foiled a procession attempted to be brought out by district BNP leaders and activists led by its president Abdul Hye from the party office around noon.
Munshiganj sadar police station officer-in-charge Mohammad Yunus Ali said that police did not obstruct but asked the demonstrators to go away from road.
New Age correspondent in Rajshahi reported that Rajshahi city and district BNP did not stage any demonstration in fear of arrest.
Rajpara thana unit, however, tried to bring out a procession from PTI
area in the city in the morning, but police foiled it and arrested former Jubadal city unit secretary Nurul Islam.
BNP’s Rajshahi city unit general secretary Shafikul Haque Milon and district general secretary Kamrul Monir said that most of the leaders were now in jail.
They did not get permission from police to hold a rally.
Rajshahi Metropolitan Police commissioner Shamsuddin said that they deployed additional forces at different important places to maintain law and order.
New Age Sylhet correspondent reported that BNP held a rally at Court Point in the city.
New Age Bogra correspondent reported that the alliance leaders could not bring out procession because of police obstruction, but they held rally on Nawabbari Sarak in the district town.