50 injured in triangular clash at Bakshibazar:Daily Sun

Police in action against BNP-JCD activists during a triangular clash in Bakshibazar area of the capital on Wednesday. (Inset) A burning car of a lawmaker. Reaz Ahmed Sumon Over 50 people, including a ruling-party lawmaker, were injured in the capital on Wednesday as Bakshibazar area turned into a virtual battlefield in a triangular clash among activists of BNP, Chhatra League and police. The clash
broke out centring BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s appearance in a makeshift court set up in Alia Madrasa playground in two corruption cases. Awami League MP Chhabi Biswas of Netrokona-1 constituency came under attack by BNP men in front of Dhaka Medical College Hospital during the clash. He was going to DMCH to visit an ailing freedom fighter there. Police and eyewitness said the clash ensued around 12:15pm when a group of BCL activists barred a BNP procession at Fazle Rabbi Hall intersection of DMCH before Khaleda’s arrival at the court. BCL men, armed with sticks and home-made weapons, beat up their BNP-JCD rivals, leaving at least five of them injured. Soon, chase and counter-chase occurred between the two groups. They used sticks and hurled brick chips to each other, making the entire Bakshibazar, Chankharpool, DMCH and Palashi areas a battleground. Panic spread fast as thousands of BNP men earlier took position in Bakshibazar, Dhaka University and Azimpur and Chawkbazar and burned tyres and tried to block roads that stretched from Palashi to Bangabazar intersection. The agitators torched a parked motorcycle at Chankharpool intersection and chanted slogans, seeking acquittal of their leader from graft charges. Later, they headed for Fazle Rabbi Hall. Police dispersed them with water cannon. As BNP men fanned out and took position in streets, police tried to intercept them. Barred by lawmen, they started hurling brick chips, leading to a chase and counter-chase between the two groups. At one stage, lawmen charged baton and lobbed several rounds of teargas shells and fired blank shots to take control of the situation. Foyzur Rahman, DMP assistant commissioner (Lalbagh zone), said, “Police charged batons and lobbed tear shells to control BNP men who attacked lawmen.” “Several persons were arrested from the areas during the clashes,” he went on When asked, Sub-inspector Rakibul Islam of Chawkbazar police station said, “Six persons were arrested from several spots.” Meanwhile, vehicular movement remained halted for two hours as a result of the hour-long sporadic clashes in the areas, causing immense public sufferings. Amid sporadic fighting, Khaleda reached the court around 12:30pm to stand trial in the cases filed by Anti-Corruption Commission. BNP men tried to enter the court premises, but police foiled their attempts. Then they took position outside the court and hurled brick chips at lawmen. Things returned to normal after Khaleda left the court around 1:20pm. The injured were admitted to DMCH and several private clinics, said Mozammel Haque, in-charge of DMCH police outpost. “Some 30 injured took treatment at DMCH.” ATTACK ON CHHABI At one stage of the clash, some 40 BNP activists made a blitz on Chhabi Biswas in front of DMCH’s emergency unit gate when he got off his car. They also set afire his car. However, police rescued him with a head injury and took him to the hospital. Later, the lawmaker told journalists that, “I was going to visit an ailing freedom fighter who has been undergoing treatment at DMCH. But I have to take treatment now.” Meanwhile, police arrested one Afzal Hossain on charge of an arson attack on the lawmaker’s car. Later, a DMP mobile court administered him two years’ imprisonment and sent him to jail. But the student of Dania University College denied the charge.