BNP office torched, Khulna Railway station, AL office attacked

Leaders and activists of local Awami League allegedly vandalised and torched a BNP office in Khulna while Railway Station and a ward Awami League office were vandalized reportedly by BNP men on Saturday noon while on their way to a rally in the city.

The BNP office is located at the Boikali intersection beside the Jashore-Khulna Highway in the city. It  is on the opposite side of the AL office in Khulna city's ward-14.

Khulna city unit BNP member secretary Shafiqul Alam Tuhin said a group of local AL men were picketing in front of their party office since this morning ahead of the BNP rally. 

Around 2pm, suddenly some AL men attacked the party office, vandalised and torched it, he added.

All belongings of the office including TV, chairs, tables and valuables papers were burnt to ashes.

Local Ward councillor and panel mayor-1 Aminul Islam Munna said that no one of the Awami League did this. "Today none of us came here from home."

The BNP men minght have done it to get attention and sympathy from the mass rally, he added.

Meanwhile, over 50 workers, employees and police were injured as Railway Station and a ward Awami League office were vandalized.

Police and locals said, some workers and supporters vandalised Khulna Railway Station and broke its glasses and doors around 12pm following chase and counter chase between Awami League and BNP activists.

AL leaders alleged that local people chased BNP men when they were ransacking the Railway Station. As local people and Railway workers intercepted the vandals, they threw brickbats and swooped on them.

When the on-duty police tried them to stop vandalism, the BNP agitators pelted brickbats targeting law enforcers.

Talking to BSS, Manik Chandra Sarkar, Station Master of Khulna Railway Station, said some passengers come from Jashore, Chuadanga and other stations to Khulna railway station and tried to go outside with a procession and chanting slogans in favour of BNP. As railway workers intercepted them and requested them to go outside in discipline, the agitators swooped on them and attacked with sticks and threw brickbats leaving 20 people injured.

Meanwhile, BNP men ransacked Awami League ward office at Khalishpur Natun Rasta area while marching a procession through BIDC road towards the BNP rally at Dawkbangla area in the city. The BNP men also hurled brickbats and attacked Awami League men injuring 20 to 25 of their workers, claimed Babul Rana, general secretary of city unit AL.

He also alleged that BNP men have turned Khulna into a city of panic carrying illegal guns and sharp weapons while coming to their rally.

Contacted, BNP city unit convener Shafiqul Islam Mona told BSS that Awami League men obstructed their procession in different areas in the city.

They attacked BNP men at Khulna Railway Station area and at least 20 BNP workers received injuries.

Sonali Sen, additional deputy commissioner of KMP told BSS that some outsiders who landed at Khulna Railway Station ransacked glasses centering an altercation with Railway workers. They attacked the workers and on-duty police and pelted bricks upon them leaving five cops injured.

"BNP's rally is continuing in tight security and nobody intercepted any procession on way to BNP rally," she added.