Police sue 2,000 BNP activists over clash in Habiganj

Police filed a case against 2,000 BNP leaders and workers of Habiganj on Thursday over violence during a rally on Wednesday.

The case names 65 persons including district unit Convener Abdul Hashem and Senior Joint Convener GK Gaus, OC Masuk Ali of Sadar police station confirmed.

They have been accused of obstructing government duty, using bricks and local arms to attack police, breaking windows of municipality and district council buildings, vandalizing police vehicles, and blocking roads.

GK Gaus said: “Police vandalized our stage and now they are harassing us by filling false cases.”

On Wednesday, police prevented BNP leaders and activists from setting up a stage for their scheduled rally and blocked the road in front of the house of central BNP leader GK Gaus in Shaistanagar area of the city since morning.

As the leaders and activists of the party and associate bodies gathered in the district town and tried to go to the rally venue, police obstructed them, triggering a clash.

The BNP activists threw stones towards police forcing them to charge batons, lob teargas shells and fire several rounds of bullets, to bring the situation under control.

At one stage, police were forced to retreat for some time in the face of strong resistance by a huge number of BNP protesters.

Amid a chase and counter-chase, senior BNP leaders, including Standing Committee Member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Chairperson’s Adviser Zainul Abedin Farroque and Organizing Secretary Skahwat Hossain Jibon addressed the rally.

At least four police personnel were reportedly injured in the attack and received treatment at Habiganj Sadar Hospital.