Police detained an unspecified number of BNP leaders and activists, including BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, after conducting a drive at BNP’s central office in the Naya Paltan area following a clash with BNP activists on Wednesday.
The clash broke out around 3 pm when slogan-chanting BNP leaders and activists took position outside the party office and defied police orders to leave the place, witnesses said.
At one stage of the altercation over the issue, police lobbed tear gas shells and charged batons to disperse them.
BNP activists responded by pelting brick chips at police, triggering the clash. Police said the clash left a man dead and several others injured.
Police also detained BNP`s publicity secretary Shaheed Uddin Chowdhury Annie, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's special assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas and general secretary of Sammilito Peshajibi Parishad Kader Goni Chowdhury from the spot after the clash, according to UNB.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir rushed to the BNP office around 4:40pm hearing the news of clash.
Fakhrul blamed the government for what he said was unjustified police action. “It’s an unjustified action of police. We strongly condemn it.”
Biplab Sarkar, joint commissioner (operation) of DMP headquarters, said police took action to ensure public security. As per the directive of DMP commissioner police are doing whatever is needed to maintain law and order, he said.
