Staff Reporter :A series of clashes between activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, ruling Awami League and law enforcers at different places across the country on Monday left at least four people killed and around 300 others injured, including dozens of law enforcers. About 500 persons were arrested by the law enforcers from different parts of the courtly in last 24 hours ending on 6:00pm yesterday. Of them, around 300 leaders and activists of BNP were detained from different places of Chittagong in the evening. According to our correspondents, the four persons were shot dead in a clash between the activists of Awami League and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) a student wing of BNP at Tebaria in Natore and Rajshahi. The two other were identified as Rakib and Raihan Hossain Rana. They were the activists of JCD and residents of the same area in the district. The other two deceased were as Abdul Mazid at Banneshwar in Rajshahi and Zamshed at Kansat in Chapai Nawabganj district. To protest the killings, Rajshahi, Natore and Chapai Nawabganj district units of BNP called a-day long hartal in their respective districts today (Tuesday). The clashes occurred when the leaders and workers of ruling AL and BNP activists brought out processions and chased each other. Police fired gunshots, rubber bullets and tear gas canisters to bring the situations under control, while hundreds of arrests were also made.Throughout the entire country, both the leaders and workers of AL and BNP took to the streets, torched many vehicles and engaged in confrontations with the police.Apart from these, as the situation still remains volatile centering yesterday January 5 the capital Dhaka has been all but cut off from the rest of the country for fear of violent escalations since Sunday.The Capital was effectively cut off from the rest of the country since Sunday with transport services into Dhaka halted. The situation is very tense at the moment as the ruling AL and BNP have been engaged in a row for staging show down and counter show down. While BNP termed the January 5 as ‘Democracy Killing Day’ the ruling AL claimed the day as the ‘Victory Day for Democracy as the 10th parliamentary election was held on this day a year ago. In Natore, The local unit of BNP alliance called a daylong hartal for today (Tuesday) in the district protesting the killing of two activists of JCD during a clash with AL workers at Tebaria in the town on Monday morning.When the leaders and workers of JCD brought out a procession in the area around 10.15 am the ruling party men allegedly opened fire on them leaving two activists dead 17 other injured at Tebaria earlier in the morning.In Rajshahi, a person was shot dead in police firing when BNP-led 20-party alliance took out a procession at Baneshwar in Charghat upazila yesterday afternoon. The victim was identified as Mazid Uddin,45, an activist of Soua union unit BNP in Charghat upazila.Witnesses said police obstructed a procession of BNP-Jamaat men brought out marking the ‘Democracy Killing Day’ in the area and opened fire to disperse them, leaving Mazid dead on the spot and 50 others injured.In Chapai Nawabganj, a serious clash between cops and the leaders and workers of BNP left one person dead at Kansat in the district. Witnesses said when BNP brought out a black flag procession police chased them. Being chased the agitating activists started pelting stones targeting the law enforcers, the law enforcers swooped in retaliation and opened fire on them. Zamshed a local BNP activist received bullet wounds and succumbed to his injuries. In Sunamganj, at least 20 people including cops and journalists were injured in a clash between activists of the BNP, AL and law enforcers. The clash occurred when the leaders and workers of BNP took out a black flag procession and reached near the old court area. The law enforcers who were deployed there to ensure law and order, lobbed off around 25 tear shells to disperse the activists of BNP and AL. In Laxmipur, when the leaders and workers of district unit of BNP led by general secretary Nizamuddin tried to take out procession in the town, police barred them. When the BNP activists tried to break the barricade, police swooped on them and started clubbing indiscriminately leaving seven injured. Police also arrested six people from the spot.In Noakhali, leaders and workers of BNP took out a procession from the press club area and when they reached Samobay area, police intercepted them. As they tried to break the barricade, police chased them and started resorting baton charge leaving at least seven people injured near Judge court at about 11.45 am. Police also arrested seven people from the spot. Our Chittagong Bureau adds: Around 300 leaders and activists of BNP were detained from different places of the city on Monday evening. Of them, a group of 240 BNP men were picked up from a single place, Yasmin Palace, near the city BNP office at Nur Ahmed road.BNP leaders and workers staged demonstration and took out procession in the city. However, no major untoward incident took place during the period. But later police foiled their demonstration. Panic is running high among the people of port city. Fearing violence, all modes of vehicles went off roads. A heavy contingent of law enforcers were deployed at different strategic points in the city. According to Barisal Correspondent in the wake of escalating political tension over the programmes and counter-programmes of the ruling AL and BNP to mark the January 5 election, the Barisal Metropolitan Police imposed an indefinite ban on holding all types of public rallies and gatherings in the city from Monday. According to a BMP, the ban will remain in force until further notice.However, defying the ban, ruling AL’s student wing BCL took out a motorcycle procession, held rally and broadcasted speeches of Bangabandhu through loud speakers in festive moods at different parts of the city to observe victory in election 2014.On the other hand, BNP office in the city remained under police cordoned from Monday early morning and there was no rally or procession of BNP in the city.Anwarul Huq Tarin, Joint Secretary of Barisal city BNP, said that they applied to the BMP authority seeking permission to hold protest rally marking January as ‘democracy killing day’ in front of party office, but BMP rejected their prayer and as loyal to law BNP also followed that order.In Narayanganj, when BNP leaders and workers took out black flag procession from Nabiganj area, of Bandar thana police barred them. As soon as the BNP activists tried to break the barricade, police swooped on them and started clubbing leaving at least 35 activists injured.In Pabna, a serious clash between the activists of the AL and the BNP left at least 10 people injured. During the clash the BNP men went on rampage and chase and counter-chase also took place. Police also opened fire and lobbed tear shells to disperse the agitators. In Chandpur, at least 20 people were injured in a clash between police, activists of AL and BNP at Faridganj upazila in the district.According to witnesses, when BNP activists in a procession started marching in front, activists of AL tried to face them. At one stage, they were locked in a clash. Later, police swooped on the agitating activists and opened fire and resorted to baton charge on them leaving at least 20 people injured. In Brahmanbaria, a clash between the activists of BNP, BCL and police left at least 25 people injured. To bring the situation under control, police fired several rounds of rubber bullets and lobbed tear shells.In Bogra, a clash between the activists of Jatiytabadi Ayinjibi and AL left at least three people including former BNP MP AKM Hafizur Rahman injured. In Sirajganj, at least 10 people were injured in a clash between the activists of BNP and cops. In Dinajpur, a serious clash between the activists of Awami League and BNP left at least 15 people injured at Bochaganj upazila in the district.In Fariodganj, a series of clashes between AL, BNP and law enforcers left at least 30 people including a baby injured. Of them, four including the baby received serious bullet wounds.In Jhenidha, at least 15 people were injured in a clash between AL, BNP and law enforcers.In Bhola, at least 35 people were injured in a clash between AL, BNP and law enforcers.
