Bangladesh: One killed, dozens injured in Kishoreganj police-BNP clash
Oct 31, 2023
Dhaka [Bangladesh], October 31 : At least one person was killed and over 50 including 15 police personnel, were injured in a clash between law enforcement and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders and activists in Kuliarchar upazila of Kishoreganj, as reported by the Dhaka Tribune on Tuesday.
Shariful Azam, joint organising secretary of the BNP's central committee, who was present at the scene, reported that two persons lost their lives due to police firing, while the police confirmed the death of only one person.
The victims were identified as local Chhatra Dal leader Refayet Ullah,20, and Krishak Dal leader Billal Mian, 30, according to Shariful, Dhaka Tribune reported.
He explained that leaders and activists of the BNP and Jamaat had assembled on a local road around 9 am to enforce a blockade. However, the police obstructed their path. Subsequently, when they initiated a procession on the road, a confrontation erupted as the police engaged their members.
In response, Superintendent of Police Md Russell Sheikh said, "When the protesters established blockades on the road, the police attempted to disperse them. This led to an altercation in which the protesters attacked police personnel. To restore order, the police resorted to firing rubber bullets. During this incident, 15 police officers, including the local police station OC, sustained injuries."
Furthermore, Billal Mian, who served as the president of the local union unit of Sramik Dal, lost his life, as confirmed by the police officer. Additional forces were subsequently deployed in the area to maintain control over the situation, Dhaka Tribune reported.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh's leading opposition leader was sent to jail after being detained in a case filed over an attack on the Chief Justice's home allegedly by activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Dhaka Tribune reported on Monday.
Along with Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, 59 others from the BNP are also accused, including Mirza Abbas, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Barkat Ullah Bulu, and Abdul Awal Mintoo, who are BNP standing committee members and vice chairmen.
