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Simultaneous rallies in close proximity by the main political rivals of Bangladesh in capital Dhaka stirred tension throughout the country before the general election, but people heaved a collective sigh of relief as Friday’s programmes ended without any confrontations.
However, the atmosphere shifted on Saturday when the opposition BNP tried to stage sit-in programmes at the entrances to Dhaka, defying a prohibition from the police who threatened action against any attempt to block the main points of the city.
Jubo League, the Awami League’s youth front, called off rallies at the same venues after the police denied both sides permission to hold programmes at the entry points to the city. But ruling party leaders and activists gathered at the places as the BNP said it would go ahead with its plans.
Subsequently, clashes erupted, leaving dozens of people injured, three buses torched and several other vehicles vandalised, reports bdnews24.com.
The police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the protesters and clear the streets for traffic, and blamed the BNP for the clashes. The Awami League accused the opposition party of resorting to “pyro-terrorism in the name of protests”.
The BNP alleged the law enforcers and ruling party loyalists attacked their peaceful programmes without any provocation, and torched buses to shift the blame onto the opposition activists.
Both parties have called fresh programmes, but this time on different days.
The Awami League announced nationwide demonstrations for Sunday against violence during the BNP’s protests while the BNP said it would hold rallies in cities and district towns on Monday against attacks on its workers in Dhaka.
GAYESHWAR, AMAN BRIEFLY DETAINED
Clashes broke out at Dholaikhal, Jatrabari, Gabtoli and Uttara around 11:30am.
Police fired tear gas and charged at the BNP adherents with batons in Dholaikhal.
Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, a BNP standing committee member, and Abdus Salam Azad, an organising secretary of the party, were subsequently detained by law enforcers.
In the face of the heavy police presence in Naya Bazar, BNP adherents began gathering in Dholaikhal.
BNP activists accused the police of instigating the clashes when law enforcers started charging at them with batons and firing tear-gas shells.
Gayeshwar was injured in the process and took shelter in a shop. He was later taken away in a police car.
"Gayeshwar Chandra Roy was trying to cause trouble by leading a procession in the Dholaikhal area. That is why he was detained,” said Joint Commissioner Khandkar Nurunnabi of the DMP's Detective Branch.
Shaheen Islam, a Jubo Dal activist who was with Gayeshwar, said the BNP leader was taken to Wari Police Station and then to Razarbagh Police Lines Hospital for first aid. From there, he was taken to the Detective Branch offices on Minto Road.
Photos of Gayeshwar having lunch with Harunor Rashid, chief of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s DB, went viral on social media.
He was later released after preliminary questioning, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Deputy Commissioner for Media Faruk Hossain. Gayeshwar arrived at the party’s central office in Naya Paltan around 3 pm.
Meanwhile, Amanullah Aman, the convenor of the BNP's Dhaka Metropolitan North unit, was detained, along with a few party activists, in Gabtoli.
A group of BNP leaders and activists led by Aman was taking up position in Gabtoli when the police intervened. As law enforcers moved to apprehend Aman, activists began shielding him and a scuffle ensued. Aman was seen lying on the road during the altercation.
Law enforcers subsequently dispersed the activists and placed Aman in a police vehicle. He was then taken to the hospital.
Representatives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina later visited Aman at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases.
"The prime minister has called for all necessary steps to be taken to ensure he receives advanced treatment. Amanullah Aman can go anywhere he likes for better treatment," said Gazi Hafizur Rahman Liku, the prime minister's assistant private secretary who led the delegation.
Aman was initially taken to Suhrawardy Medical College as he was feeling unwell after his detention, police said.
The tests came back normal, but doctors suggested that Aman be taken to the national cardiovascular institute as he had a stent in his heart, the law enforcers said.
Aman later left the hospital of "his own accord", according to the institute's director.
Asked about Hasina’s care package for Aman and Gayeshwar’s lunch with Harun, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the government did this to avoid visa restrictions earlier announced by the US over the political situation in Bangladesh.
“They [government] have staged a drama to prove their innocence.”
BUSES TORCHED
At least three buses were set on fire on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Matuail as BNP activists trying to stage a sit-in demonstration clashed with police and Awami League supporters.
The party had initially planned to demonstrate in Jatrabari, but they moved to Matuail due to the presence of police and Awami League supporters.
The clash started at 11:30am as police attempted to clear them from the road. The clashes continued for several hours and the buses were torched amid the violence.
A Swadesh Paribahan bus headed to Gulistan was set ablaze at the Matuail Medical Intersection around 12:30pm.
Driver Imran Hossain told the media that he was taking passengers to Gulistan when the police blocked the vehicle at the medical intersection and turned it away. He was making a U-turn to drop off passengers when a group of helmeted men poured some petrol-type substance on the back of the bus and set it ablaze. They then beat Imran and stole the keys to the vehicle.
A Turag Paribahan minibus was set on fire near the intersection around 1pm, but it was extinguished before it could spread.
A Tisha Paribahan bus on the Dhaka-Cumilla route was torched around 1:45pm near the Santo Filling Station at the intersection. The bus was at the petrol pump and was attempting to get onto the highway when it was set on fire.
Md Masum, the bus driver, said that two men on motorcycles threw something onto the bus, causing it to burst into flames.
No passengers were on the bus at the time.
“Some individuals started fires on buses after emerging from the many alleys," said RAB-10 Director Mohammad Farid Uddin, who was at the scene. “Whoever is involved in such acts of sabotage will be found and legal action will be taken against them.”
A police pickup truck, a bus, and other vehicles were also vandalised in Shyamoli, according to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
BLAME GAME
The BNP said it would protest “attacks by the police and the Awami League” during sit-in programmes in Dhaka by holding rallies in cities and district towns on Monday.
Party Secretary General MIrza Fakhrul said they had thought about holding the rallies on Sunday, but changed their mind after the ruling party announced demonstrations for Sunday.
“We’ve decided not to create a crisis by calling simultaneous programmes. I hope our democratic and peaceful rallies won’t face any obstacles,” he said after a meeting of the BNP Standing Committee.
Fakhrul denied allegations that BNP activists set buses ablaze in Shyamoli and Matuail, blaming government agencies and ruling party workers for the incidents.
“Reports in the mainstream and social media say the arsonists left the scene after committing the crimes in the presence of police. You don’t need much intelligence to understand who did this.”
The BNP leader condemned “attacks” on his colleagues Gayeshwar and Aman, and arrests of scores of supporters.
Police blamed BNP activists for the clashes. Dhaka Metropolitan Police said BNP loyalists hurled bombs at police and vandalised and torched vehicles from “illegal” gatherings.
The law enforcers arrested 90 people over the violent clashes during the protests, and an operation to arrest more was ongoing, said Faruq Hossain, a spokesman for the DMP.
He said the BNP’s programmes were illegal because the party was informed on Friday night that police denied them permission to hold the sit-in protests.
According to him, the law enforcers had to use force and fire rubber bullets to disperse the BNP workers, who “tried to disconnect Dhaka from the rest of the country”.
The opposition activists launched “sudden attacks on the police with crude bombs”. The BNP loyalists vandalised around 30 vehicles, including 10 belonging to the law enforcers, he added.
Around 20 police officers were injured in the clashes, he said and added that the police were initiating cases against those who created disorder and caused public suffering.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, while visiting the injured police officers at hospital, said the BNP tried to cut off Dhaka from the rest of the country.
He said the authorities have evidence that a BNP leader ordered firebombings of vehicles.
“There’s no problem if the political parties hold peaceful programmes, But if they vandalise vehicles and try to kill people, police will do their duty.”
The Awami League called nationwide demonstrations for Sunday against what the party says is “pyro-terrorism by the BNP in the name of sit-in protests”.
The ruling party’s General Secretary Obaidul Quader announced the programmes at an emergency meeting with affiliate organisations in Awami League headquarters on Bangabandhu Avenue.
He said party workers across the country, including Dhaka city, will demonstrate from 10am to 5pm.