44 BNP leaders, activists arrested after clash with police in Chattogram
Several cops, pedestrians and BNP activists were injured in the clash
The police have arrested 44 BNP leaders and activists after they clashed with law enforcement in Chattogram city on Wednesday.
The clashes took place in the Jamalkhan and Chattogram Press Club neighbourhoods of the city at 3pm yesterday, when the Chattogram City unit BNP organised a protest rally to observe what the party calls "Democracy Killing Day".
Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Nezam Uddin told The Business Standard, "When BNP activists at the rally hurled bricks at the police, several cops and pedestrians were injured. The police arrested 44 BNP leaders and activists and chased others away."
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Idris Ali, former office secretary of BNP's Chattogram city unit, however, claimed that the police "deliberately attacked" the leaders and activists when they gathered at the protest rally. "At least 10 of our leaders and activists were injured."
According to witnesses, BNP leaders and activists from different parts of the city started gathering at the Chattogram Press Club area around noon yesterday. The rally grew bigger and at one point it started disrupting traffic in the Jamal Khan area.
When the police tried to facilitate traffic movement in the area, the BNP activists got involved in an altercation with them.
At one stage, the BNP men hurled bricks at the police, and the police charged batons to chase them away.
Earlier, BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, and BNP's Chattogram city unit Convener, Dr Shahadat Hossain, among others, were present at the rally.
