Shawdesh Desk:

Several people were injured in a clash between Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) activists and police at Dhaka’s Chandrima Udyan on Tuesday morning.

The clash started around 10:30 am when the newly formed convening committees of BNP’s Dhaka city north and south units went to place wreaths at the grave of the party’s founder Ziaur Rahman.

Witnesses said some leaders and activists, including Aminul Haque, a member secretary of the BNP’s Metropolitan North Committee and a former national team footballer, gathered at the park around 10:30 am. Then the police prevented them from going inside.

At that time, the police had an argument with Aminul Haque. At one stage, the police charged batons on them and fired teargas shells.

Aminul Hauqu, Convener of Dhaka Metropolitan north unit of BNP, said, “We’ve come here today to offer fateha at Ziaur Rahman’s grave. But the police are not allowing us to stay there. At one point, police fired teargas shells and rubber bullets on us.”

Jane Alam Munsi, officer-in-charge of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, said, “The BNP activists were entering the field of Trade Fair which is they were not allowed to do. As there was an internal feud among BNP groups over forming the new convening committees, they started throwing  brick chips on the police.”

Later, police fired teargas shells and rubber bullets on them.

Eight-10 policemen, including DC, ADC and AC were injured in the clash, said the OC.

After the clash, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir visited the spot.

He told the journalists that this government has completely got aleniated from people. That is why they want to suppress this democratic movement by torturing us by the police, he added.

“We believe this government can be defeated through a united movement of people. We hope our new committee will lead the movement,” Fakhrul added.

He said, “We strongly condemn these repressive acts by the government and the police.”