BNP workers attacked in places

BNP has alleged the "criminals of the winning party " are assaulting its supporters across the country amid reports of continued post-election clashes between Awami League and BNP supporters in places on Wednesday, which left scores injured.

"The criminals of the winning party are attacking our leaders and supporters, they are keeping our supporters under lock and key, they are threatening our supporters in their homes," BNP office secretary Rizvi Ahmed said at a press briefing at party chairperson's Gulshan office.

"Such post-election incidents bear bad signs. On one hand, the leader of the winning party is saying that she would establish peace and the criminal activists of her party are attacking us, on the other," Rizvi said.

Defeated BNP candidate from Mirpur, Rafiqul Islam Mia, said his supporters came under attack on Monday night, but police refused to take the case when they had gone to file the case.

An activist of Pallabi Doaripara unit of BNP's youth front, Khokon, and Liton, a worker of the labour wing's Mirpur unit, were presented at the briefing with parts of their bodies wrapped in surgical gauge.

They did not speak at the briefing but the leaders said those two had been assaulted by the workers of AL's youth front, Jubo League.

Rizvi also alleged that the AL activists had stormed and occupied the BNP office at ward 90 in capital Dhaka.

BNP elected candidate Jainul Abedin Faruq, former MP Khairul Kabir Khokon, among others, were present at the press briefing.

Rizvi said the BNP supporters in Sonaimuri and Senbagh of Noakhali, Homna of Comilla, Sreepur of Munshiganj, Madhabdi of Narsingdi, and Doulatpur of Bhola districts came under attack.

PANCHAGARH

Our Panchagarh correspondent reports 10 supporters of the BNP and the AL sustained injuries in a clash in Shalbahan union in Tentulia Upazila.

Following the clash, police arrested some eight BNP supporters from the scene.

The injured activists have been admitted to Upazila health complex.

KISHOREGANJ

Kishoreganj-6 constituency's BNP candidate Shariful Alam alleged BNP leader Nitya Lal Das ha been stabbed and his house vandalised.

Officer-in-charge of Kuliarchhar Police Station Ahammad Hossain said Abul Monsur Rubel, the younger brother of local unit of AL president Abul Hossain Liton, led the attack.

Das was sent to Dhaka Pongu Hospital.

In some other incidents in Kuliachhar and Kotiadi Upazila, some 12 BNP supporters were injured and some of their houses vandalised.

However, Kotiadi police station officer-in-charge Shamsul Haq said personal conflicts also caused many of those injuries.

JESSORE

District BNP general secretary Kazi Moniurul Huda at a press conference on Wednesday alleged that supporters of the AL had swooped on their leaders and supporters in all the six constituencies of the district.

He claimed some 20 leaders and activists were injured.

The defeated BNP candidate for Jessore-6, Abul Hossain Azad, was allegedly attacked by the activists of the Awami League candidate at Bhatpara under Abhaynagar Upazila on Wednesday evening.

He had gone there to meet with the voters.

The AL adherents injured at least 25 others, including a 70- year-old man, loyal to the four-party alliance at several places in Jessore.

The alleged terrors, most of whom had gone hiding during emergency rule, carried out the assaults, the four-party allaince leaders alleged.

Azad told newsmen that a number of AL activists led by Dilip Goswami, Rabiul Islam, Abdul Kuddus and Abdul Azim assaulted him physically.

Seventy-year-old Kobad Ali of Ganganandapur village under Jhikargachha Upazila was seriously injured in an attack by the AL men at his home.

He is now under treatment at Jessore General Hospital for fractured legs.

He told journalists he was not an activist but a supporter of the BNP and its allies.

Kazi Shahjahan Sabuj, Benapole correspondent of private TV network Channel One, and Mashiar Rahman, Beanpole correspondent of Daily Sangram, came under attack at the port by the AL activists, alleged the journalists at Benapole.

Shamsher Alam, convener, Khulna- Jessore Master Roll Jute Mill Employees Association, was assaulted and injured at Nawapara industrial town.

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal activists Raju and Ujjal were hit with hammer by the AL activists at Nawapara industrial town.

A number of four-party alliance leaders and activists supporters came under attack at several places under eight upazilas in Jessore.

Khaledur Rahman Tito, MP-elect for Jessore-3, in a press conference at Jessore Press Club asked the activists of his party not to swoop on their opponents.

He also urged the law-enforcers to strictly handle the rogue activists.

KHALEDA MEETS

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Wednesday separately met with pro-nationalist intellectuals, teachers and party leaders at her Gulshan office.

Justice Abdur Rouf, Prof Talukder Moniruzzaman, former vice chancellors of Dhaka University professors Emajuddin Ahmed and Moniruzzaman Mia, Prof Mahabubullah, DU Teachers' Association outgoing president Prof Sadrul Amin, Prof Rizia Akhter Banu, journalist M Mozammel Haq, Showkat Mahmud and other attended one meeting.

In the other meeting, M Saifur Rahman, Chowdhury Tanvir Ahmed Siddiqui, Moudud Ahmed, M Shamsul Islam, Mahabubur Rahman, Salauddin Kader Chowdhury and other senior leaders were present.

Party secretary general Khandakar Delwar Hossain attended both meetings.