Shawdesh desk:

The sit-in protest programme of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Saturday came under attack from the ruling Awami League and police across the country while several dozens of BNP people were injured and many arrested.

The sit-ins were held between 2:00pm an 4:00pm, simultaneously in 128 thanas of 13 cities, including Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Sylhet, and at 650 spots in all upazilas of the country, to protest the increase in prices of electricity and gas, the ‘pervasive corruption’ by the AL government and to push for the 10-point demands for the restoration of democracy, including the resignation of the government.

New Age correspondent in Natore reported that Juba League and Chhatra League allegedly attacked BNP leaders and activists and foiled their sit-in in Natore.

Natore Sadar upazila BNP general secretary Abul Hossain Bepari and Tebaria union BNP general secretary Masud Akand were seriously injured in the attack.

Juba League and Chhatra League activists attacked Abul in front of the NESCO office at Alaipur when he was coming towards the BNP office to attend a planned meeting, claimed BNP leaders.

Later, the police rescued him with serious injuries. He was sent to the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, said family members.

‘We were holding our sit-in programme inside the office. Sadar upazila BNP General Secretary Abul Bepari and Tebaria Union BNP General Secretary Masud Akand were seriously injured in the attack by Awami League and Juba League leaders and activists,’ Natore district BNP member secretary Rahim Newaz said.

Meanwhile, Natore district Awami League general secretary Shariful Islam Ramzan denied the attack on BNP leaders.

Natore sadar police officer-in-charge Nasim Ahmed said that the BNP and the Awami League organised programmes at the same place of Alaipur.

New Age correspondent in Bogura, reported that miscreants vandalised and set fire to the office of the Nandigram upazila unit BNP in Bogra district on Friday night.

Nandigram BNP general secretary Belayet Hossain Adar said that a group of masked miscreants swooped on the office at about 10:00pm and set fire to it after pouring petrol on it.

They also vandalised the chairs at the office. The furniture and banner of the office were burnt in the fire.

On information, local people doused the blaze before a firefighting unit reached the spot, said warehouse inspector Tanvir Hasan of Nandigram Fire Service and Civil Defence.

Condemning the incident, Mosharraf Hossain, former BNP lawmaker for Bogura-4 constituency, demanded punishment for those involved in the attack.

In patuakhali, former home minister and central BNP vice-president Altaf Hossain Chowdhury’s motorcade came under attack by miscreants in Mirzaganj upazila of Patuakhali on Saturday.

Three people, including Mirzaganj upazila parishad vice-chairman Hasina Begum, were injured in the attack that took place in Subidkhali Bazar area at about 11:00am, claimed the upazila BNP president Shahabuddin Nannu.

Of the injured, two local Chhatra Dal members Al-Amin and Nazmul Mridha were admitted to the upazila health complex while Hasina Begum was given first aid, Nannu told reporters.

He said that a group of unidentified miscreants carried out the attack when Altaf Hossain along with party members was going to take part in a sit-in in Mirzaganj from Kathaltali. The event was organised as part of the BNP’s central programme.

The attackers vandalised several motorcycles and a microbus, he added.

Mirzaganj police officer-in-charge Anwar Hossain said that no such attack was made at the rally venue. But someone vandalised a microbus of Altaf Hossain. Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

However, the sit-in was finally held on the Upazila Judicial Magistrate Court premises.

In Sylhet, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s adviser Khandaker Abdul Muktadir was released three hours after being arrested on Saturday.

Sylhet Metropolitan Police additional deputy commissioner for media Sudip Das confirmed the matter.

BNP insiders said that police arrested Muktadir in front of the Osmani International Airport in Sylhet when he came out of the facility to attend a scheduled party programme in the afternoon.

New Age correspondent in Feni reported that AL activists attacked a BNP sit-in in Daganbhuyan of Feni.

Upazila BNP president Akbar Hossain alleged that 20 BNP leaders and workers were injured in the attack.

The attack took place on Saturday afternoon when the BNP started its sit-in near the ‘Dakbanglo’ in the town.

Later, the police reached the spot and brought the situation under control.

Feni district BNP member secretary Alal Uddin Alal along with leaders and activists of the district and upazila units took part in the sit-in. Within the first 10 minutes, 50-60 people of the government party ambushed the sit-in with sticks.

At least 20 BNP leaders and activists were injured in the attack, including upazila Chhatra Dal convenor Saimun Haque Rajiv.

Daganbhuyan police officer-in-charge Md Hasan Imam said that after hearing the news of the attack, police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

If a complaint is received in this regard, action will be taken after investigation, he said.

Attacks on BNP people and foiling their programme were also reported from Savar, Bhola, Lakshimipur, Madaripur, Manikganj, Rajbari and Jashore.