Staff Reporter :
The Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists on Friday foiled a cycle rally of the green activists’ campaign against the building of a coal-fired Power Plant at Rampal near the Sundarbans, witnesses said.
The protesters under the banner of ‘Shatasfurto Janata’ gathered in front of the Central Shaheed Minar around 10:00am to hold a rally with bicycles protesting the government move, they said.
The Dhaka University unit of the BCL led by President Abid Al Hasan and
General Secretary Motahar Hossain surrounded the area and held a human chain there that triggered a clash, according to them
“The rally was supposed to encircle Dhaka University, Dhanmondi, Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue before dispersing at the National Press Club,” Liton Nondi, a protester and President of Bangladesh Students Union, told The New Nation on Friday evening.
The rally faced the first interception at Central Shaheed Minar, where the programme was supposed to begin, from a human chain formed by the BCL men around 10:30am, he said.
He alleged that their 25 activists were injured during the bouts of confrontations with police and BCL men.
Police also arrested two protesters from the city’s Tejgaon area during protest, he claimed.
“More cyclists from around the city were heading to this spot as well. Police stopped a number of cyclists at Shahbagh, Dhanmondi, Nilkhet, Polashi and Kakrail, and seized their bicycles,” said Liton Nondi,
Saikat Mallik, President of Bangladesh Students Federation, said that BCL members fractured the arm of a protester called Ashik.
However, when a group of protesters tried to move towards the National Press from the Doel Chatter at noon with their bicycles, police lobbed tear gas shells and used water cannon to disband them, he said.
BCL activists assaulted several green activists during rounds of confrontation, he said.
Mohammad Imran, General Secretary of Dhaka University’s Mohsin Hall Chhatra League BCL unit, said: “We are for the development and for the power plant. That is why we are demonstrating.”
When contacted, Professor Anu Muhammad, member-secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, said, “The protesters managed to rally together at Shaheed Minar despite earlier setbacks and tried to pass through the BCL barricade. They were attacked from behind as they proceeded towards the Press Club.”
“We condemn such attempts to foil the people’s movement. The attack has exposed the moral depravity of the government. They are afraid of our protests and unleashed the BCL and police repeatedly on us,” the Professor said.
“The Chhatra League and the Sundarbans campaigners had simultaneous programmes at Shaheed Minar,” Siddiqur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of Shahbagh Police Station.
“Their designated route was Azimpur to Dhanmondi?. Police tried to stop them because this was not their designated route,” he said.
The Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists on Friday foiled a cycle rally of the green activists’ campaign against the building of a coal-fired Power Plant at Rampal near the Sundarbans, witnesses said.
The protesters under the banner of ‘Shatasfurto Janata’ gathered in front of the Central Shaheed Minar around 10:00am to hold a rally with bicycles protesting the government move, they said.
The Dhaka University unit of the BCL led by President Abid Al Hasan and
General Secretary Motahar Hossain surrounded the area and held a human chain there that triggered a clash, according to them
“The rally was supposed to encircle Dhaka University, Dhanmondi, Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue before dispersing at the National Press Club,” Liton Nondi, a protester and President of Bangladesh Students Union, told The New Nation on Friday evening.
The rally faced the first interception at Central Shaheed Minar, where the programme was supposed to begin, from a human chain formed by the BCL men around 10:30am, he said.
He alleged that their 25 activists were injured during the bouts of confrontations with police and BCL men.
Police also arrested two protesters from the city’s Tejgaon area during protest, he claimed.
“More cyclists from around the city were heading to this spot as well. Police stopped a number of cyclists at Shahbagh, Dhanmondi, Nilkhet, Polashi and Kakrail, and seized their bicycles,” said Liton Nondi,
Saikat Mallik, President of Bangladesh Students Federation, said that BCL members fractured the arm of a protester called Ashik.
However, when a group of protesters tried to move towards the National Press from the Doel Chatter at noon with their bicycles, police lobbed tear gas shells and used water cannon to disband them, he said.
BCL activists assaulted several green activists during rounds of confrontation, he said.
Mohammad Imran, General Secretary of Dhaka University’s Mohsin Hall Chhatra League BCL unit, said: “We are for the development and for the power plant. That is why we are demonstrating.”
When contacted, Professor Anu Muhammad, member-secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, said, “The protesters managed to rally together at Shaheed Minar despite earlier setbacks and tried to pass through the BCL barricade. They were attacked from behind as they proceeded towards the Press Club.”
“We condemn such attempts to foil the people’s movement. The attack has exposed the moral depravity of the government. They are afraid of our protests and unleashed the BCL and police repeatedly on us,” the Professor said.
“The Chhatra League and the Sundarbans campaigners had simultaneous programmes at Shaheed Minar,” Siddiqur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of Shahbagh Police Station.
“Their designated route was Azimpur to Dhanmondi?. Police tried to stop them because this was not their designated route,” he said.
