15 activists injured in Jamaat-police clash in Cumilla, 7 jailed

At least 15 activists of Jamaat-e-Islami were injured as police allegedly charged batons on the party's anti-government procession in Cumilla city's Rajganj Bazar intersection on Sunday.

"Police also detained seven activists of the party from the procession and two others from home raids on Saturday night," said Kazi Deen Mohammad, ameer of Cumilla metropolitan unit of Jamaat. 

"Law enforcers, without any provocation, brutally attacked our procession, injuring our leaders and activists," he said, condemning the attack on the party men.

Cumilla metropolitan unit of Jamaat brought out the procession, as part of the central programme demanding a caretaker government, dissolution of the incumbent parliament, and release of the party's Ameer Shafiqul Rahman.

On the other hand, Thrinath Saha, inspector (Investigation) of Cumilla Kotwali Police Station, said, "Jamaat men attacked law enforcers from their procession in Rajganj bazaar on Sunday morning and subsequently, police arrested seven attackers and sent them to jail as per court order."

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami brought out processions in Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet, Mymensingh, and Barishal divisions and some districts – Gazipur and Narayanganj -- to press home their demands. 

At the procession in Khulna, Professor Mahfuzur Rahman, ameer of Khulna Metropolitan Jamaat, said "We have to take the streets to protest as the autocratic government looted our all basic and constitutional political rights."

In Sylhet, Shajahan Ali, secretary general of Sylhet Metropolitan Jamaat, said, "We believe in a peaceful programme. Awami League holds meetings every day and they do not need permission. However, the police did not give permission for our peaceful assembly programme, this is a totally unconstitutional, illegal, and autocratic approach."

Calling on the government to step down, the Jamaat leader said, "Dissolve the parliament, resign immediately."

Jamaat condemns arrest of 20 activists in Dhaka

Jamaat leaders strongly condemned and protested the arrest of 20 of its activists from the Mirpur Darussalam area in the capital city and the remand of another activist.

Dhaka Metropolitan North unit Jamaat's Acting Ameer Abdur Rahman Musa and its Secretary Muhammad Rezaul Karim issued a media statement in this regard on Sunday.

"Earlier, Mirpur Model Thana police arrested 20 people from Darussalam in Dhaka in a false, baseless case ahead of the party's pre-scheduled programmes in Dhaka, and one person was remanded for three days," the statement reads.

They also called for the immediate and unconditional release of the false and baseless cases brought against the detainees.