Police foil BNP procession in Barishal; 15 hurt, 8 arrested

At least 15 people were injured after police baton-charged a procession brought out by the BNP in the Barishal city as a part of the party's ongoing non-cooperation movement on Wednesday.

Eight people, including Barishal south district BNP convener Abul Hossain Khan, were arrested during the incident.

Abu Naser Mohammad Rahmatullah, a member of the party's national executive committee, said party leaders and activists brought out a protest march in support of the non-cooperation movement from the party office on Sadar Road.

Party leaders were distributing leaflets from the procession calling on the people to boycott the 7 January national election, said the BNP leader.

"When the protest march reached Ashwin Kumar Hall in the city, police started baton-charging to disperse the procession," he said.

Abul Kalam Shahin, member secretary of Barishal south district BNP, accused police of charging batons and dragging the leaders and activists into police vans.

At that time, at least 15 leaders and activists of the party, including the party's central assistant organising secretary Akon Kuddusur Rahman, were injured, said Abul Kalam.

ATM Anisul Haque, officer-in-charge of Barisal Kotwali Model police station, however, denied the claims of police action.

"We dispersed the BNP leaders and activists from the spot as they gathered without any prior permission blocking the road and disrupting traffic. The police did not act violently," said OC Anisul.

"We have arrested several people on the spot. The details will be provided later."

10 BNP members arrested in Ctg

Police on Wednesday morning arrested 10 leaders and activists of the BNP, including the party's Mirsharai upazila convener Shahidul Islam Chowdhury, while they were distributing anti-polls leaflets.

Mirsharai Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sahidul Islam told The Business Standard that the arrests were made during a leaflet distribution campaign aimed at disrupting the electoral process. The detainees were obstructing the movement of vehicles in the Baratakia Bazar area.

The arrested include Chattogram North District Jubo Dal Vice-President Alauddin, Moghadia Union Jubo Dal Member Secretary Mominul Islam, Chattogram North District Jubo Dal member Mohammad Dinaz, North District Chhatra Dal Co-Organising Secretary Main Uddin Tipu, Wahedpur Union Chhatra Dal Vice-President Sharif Mahmud and Chattogram North District Chhatra Dal member Iqbal Hossain.

OC Sahidul Islam further said, "The law enforcers seized a quantity of the controversial leaflets during the arrest. Some of the detainees have previous cases registered at the police station."

Preparations were underway to lodge a case against the arrested BNP men when the report was filed.

One-sided election dragging country to hell: Rizvi

Also on Wednesday, terming the 7 January polls one-sided, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the election is dragging the country to hell.

"The illegal government wants to conduct a lop-sided election again to loot more money and launder more and more abroad. They want to loot the entire Bangladesh," said the opposition leader on Wednesday after distributing anti-polls leaflets in Dhaka's Motijheel area.