Two cases have been registered over the violent clashes between the police and BNP activists in Bhola that left a man dead and scores injured.
SI Md Jashim of Bhola Sadar Model Police Station filed the cases as the plaintiff on Sunday, according to the district's Additional Superintendent of Police Md Farhad Sardar.
One of the suits relates to the alleged attack on police personnel while the other concerns the death of Abdur Rahim, member secretary of the South Dighaldi Union Swechchha Sebok Dal, said Farhad.
District BNP President Golam Nabi Alamgir and General Secretary Harun Or Rashid Truman, along with more than 400 BNP leaders and activists, are facing criminal charges, reports bdnews24.com.
Among the suspects, 74 are mentioned by name and 350 others are unidentified. Efforts are underway to apprehend them, said Farhad.
The unrest stemmed from a rally organised by the local BNP unit on Sunday in protest against rolling power outages and rising commodity prices.
Violence erupted when the police barred activists from leading a procession outside the party office in Mahajanpatti. The BNP men pelted police with brickbats and stones, prompting law enforcers to fire teargas shells to restore order, according to Bhola Sadar Model Police Station chief Enayet Hossain.
Abdur Rahim died during the clashes, with BNP leaders alleging that he was gunned down by the police.
After the incident, 11 people were detained by law enforcement. Later, Bhola BNP chief Alamgir accused the police of 'disturbing peace' between the Awami League and the BNP in Bhola.
"At one stage, police began firing teargas shells and rubber bullets at the BNP activists. Abdur Rahim, the leader of Swechchha Sebok Dal, was shot dead by the police," he said at a press conference.
"The district BNP general secretary, the joint secretary, the general secretary of the Swechchha Sebok Dal, the president of the district Chhatra Dal and hundreds of activists were seriously injured," he added.
Many of the injured have been sent to hospitals in Barishal and Dhaka, according to Alamgir. He also claimed that at least 30 of them were shot.
However, ASP Farhad refuted the allegations and blamed the BNP for the incident.
"The gathering was peaceful. But afterwards, the BNP leaders and activists got riled up while marching. They then attacked the police,” he said.
The BNP, meanwhile, is preparing to file a countersuit over the death of Abdur Rahim, according to Alamgir.
