BNP office ransacked, houses of pickets raided during hartal
Police charge batons to disperse a procession led by BNP lawmaker Mujibur Rahman Sarwar in Barisal city during the second day of 36-hour countrywide hartal enforced by BNP-Jamaat alliance yesterday. Photo: STAR
AL men ransacked BNP office in Kurigram town while police raided houses of leaders and activists in Rajshahi and Barisal on the second day of BNP-called 36-hour hartal yesterday. Awami League activists yesterday morning ransacked the district BNP party office in Kurigram town, reports our correspondent. Sources said, activists of the district Awami League brought out an anti-hartal procession in the town at 10:30 am. While crossing the district BNP party office at Old Post Office Para, the AL activists locked in a clash with BNP men and ransacked the office. At least 10 activists from both groups were injured in the clash. In Rajshahi, police allegedly beat up the wife of a picket while raiding his house at Maskatadighi area in the city, reports our staff correspondent. However, Rajshahi metropolitan police commissioner M Obaidullah expressed his ignorance of the incident while relevant officials denied their involvement. Rupa Begum, 25, wife of a BNP activist Shahidul Islam alleged that police entered her house unwarranted and beat her up with hockey sticks as she could not say whereabouts of her husband. She said police left the scene when neighbours came to her aid. Witnesses said a team of 7-8 policemen were looking for Shahidul near his rented house around 8:30am. “We could hear sounds of beating but we didn't dare to enter the house. We told police to stop this when the male neighbours came to the spot”, said Delwara Begum, wife of the house owner, Sanaullah. Contacted, Rabiul Islam said police were looking for Shahidul. “His house was raided several times at night, but no untoward incident occurred. I don't know whether any police went there again in the morning”. He said, Shahidul was among the group of pickets who damaged a truck during hartal hours on Sunday. In Barisal, pro-hartal activists were more active and violent yesterday than the first day of hartal, reports our correspondent. At least four rickshaws, two pickups, five trucks , six auto-rickshaws and three-wheelers were damaged on city roads by the picket and roads were blocked in different parts of the city by setting tyres on fire and placing logs on the roads. Police raided the houses of leaders and activists at night before hartal, BNP sources alleged. They said at least eight activists including central JCD vice president Parvez Akon Biplob, Jamaat activists Mizanur Rahman, Riazul Islam were arrested for picketing yesterday. A pro-hartal procession led by BNP lawmaker, central organising secretary and former BCC mayor Mojibor Rahman Sarwar was dispersed by police by charging baton in Natun Bazaar area of the city at noon. Police also barred BNP activists from coming out of Barisal court compound or assembling in front of their party office.
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