Shawdesh desk:

The leaders and activists of main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its associate bodies organised march in all the unions across the country on Saturday to press home their 10-point demand — most importantly, to hold the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.

Clashes took place during the march programmes at different places, including Narayanganj, Sirajganj and Jhalokathi.

According to a report of UNB, 12 activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party were injured in a clash between police and party activists during the party’s ongoing union-level march at Panchrukhi in Araihazar upazila in Narayanganj on Saturday.

Lutfur Rahman, former joint secretary of district unit BNP, said that they brought out a procession as part of their scheduled march programme at union level around 10:00am.

When the procession reached Panchrukhi, police obstructed them, leading to a chase and counter-chase.

Police also lobbed tear gas shells and charged baton to disperse them, leaving 12 people injured.

The injured were given first aid.

Sirajganj Sadar police officer-in-charge Humayun Kabir told New Age that at least 15 people were injured in a clash between the activists of Awami League and BNP during BNP’s march programme in Sadar upazila’s Paikpara Bazar area.

In Jhalokathi, at least 15 BNP activists were injured in attacks by AL activists in Nathullabad, Dhanshiri, Nabagram, and Keora areas, said district BNP convening committee member Mizanur Rahman Mubin.

Jhalokathi Sadar police officer-in-charge Nasir Uddin said that they had no clue about the attacks and no complaint was lodged in this regard.

On February 4, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the march programme at the union level from a rally in front of the party’s Nayapaltan central office.

‘Our programme this time will be at the union level. We’ll march at the union level across the country on Saturday, as part of the simultaneous movement to protest against the increase in prices of daily necessities, including gas electricity, rice and lentils and for the restoration of democracy, the resignation of the government and implementation of our 10-point demand,’ he said.