BNP rallies protesting load shedding face police bar, 'attack' from AL men

BNP rallies organised in protest of intolerable load shedding and widespread corruption in the power sector were attacked by ruling party activists and barred by police in different areas across the country, alleged the opposition party.

Around 25 people, including the BNP's Pabna District Unit Convener and Advisor to BNP Chairperson Habibur Rahman Habib, were injured in an attack allegedly by leaders and activists of the Jubo League and Chhatra League on Thursday.

BNP activists and witnesses said when the opposition party members appeared before Latif Tower in Pabna city on their way back from a rally, activists of the Jubo League, Chhatra League and Shechchhashebak League swooped on them.

Senior Joint Convener of the BNP's Pabna unit Abdus Samad Khan Montu said, "The Awami League goons suddenly attacked us when we were holding a peaceful programme. The barbaric attack was carried out in the presence of the police."

Brushing aside the allegation, Pabna unit Awami League President Rezaul Rahim Lal said, "We were also holding a peace rally. The BNP leaders and activists came up with a plan to attack us there, and our leaders and activists only resisted them. There was no instruction to attack any opposition programme."

Pabna Additional Superintendent of Police (Sadar Circle) DM Hasibul Benazir said there was a ruckus when the BNP leaders and activists were passing by a Chhatra League-Jubo League rally. ' 'We do not know if there was an attack."

Meanwhile in Dhaka, when a BNP protest march led by the party's Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi reached Notre Dame College in the Arambagh area, the police barred them from moving ahead.

Later, a delegation led by Dhaka District unit BNP President Khandaker Abu Ashfaq and its General Secretary Nipun Roy Chowdhury went to Wapda Bhaban in Motijheel to hand over a memorandum protesting load shedding and corruption in the power sector.

At the BNP rally in the capital, Rizvi said, "The fall of the government is imminent now. There are about 154 plants in the power sector, only 49 of which are operational, while the rest are almost closed. What happened to them?

"A member of parliament of yours (the government) said electricity will be peddled from place to place. Where did that electricity go?"

The police also obstructed the BNP's protest rally against load shedding in Bogura.

BNP leaders and activists took out the procession from their Bogura district office at around 11 am. When they were going to the Nesco office through the road beside the Shaheed Khokon Municipal Children's Park, the police stopped them there.

"Awami League trying to mislead people with comments on talks"

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday alleged that ruling party leaders are trying to mislead people through their contradictory comments on political talks over the next election.

"The Awami League is very good at diverting people's attention and taking an issue to another direction. Three leaders of the Awami League spoke in three ways about a dialogue. As people have become angry over the power crisis, they are creating another issue to divert it," he said.

The BNP leader said Awami League advisory council member Amir Hossain Amu has created an uproar with his remarks on dialogue to resolve the political deadlock over the next general election.

"Later, the spokesperson of the Awami League said this is not their statement. Again in the afternoon, the home minister said there is no alternative to dialogue. Their main aim is to mislead people," he said at a meeting on the "Caretaker government system in trying to overcome the crisis of democracy in Bangladesh - a review", organised by the University Teachers' Association of Bangladesh (UTAB).

The BNP leader also said the ruling party leaders are trying to divert people's attention to a different direction from their demand for power supply and holding the election under a neutral non-party government.

Addressing the government, Mirza Fakhrul said, "First resign, and hand over power to a caretaker government. We have started a movement along with the people. We are fighting to bring back people's rights, not to bring the BNP to power."