Staff Reporter:
BNP senior leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy on Tuesday threatened that their party will begin the final phase of movement soon to oust the Awami League government.
Speaking briefly before launching the Dhaka South City unit’s road march in front of the Bangladesh Medical in the capital’s Dhanmondi area, he also called upon the government to accept their party’s de-mand for holding the next election under a non-party caretaker government if it wants to avoid the movement.
The BNP leader said their party is yet to give the final push in the movement to bring down the govern-ment.
“If Sheikh Hasina steps down by accepting our demand, then there is no need to start this movement. We know she won’t do it. We’ll soon come up with the announcement for a movement to unseat this re-gime,” he said.
The BNP leader said their party’s main objective is to restore democracy and the people’s ownership of the country.
He said their only demand is for a free and fair election so that people can freely elect their representa-tives as per their wishes.
The BNP leader said the main point of their party’s 10-point demand is that election must be held under an impartial government in a free and fair manner.
“We want the resignation of this government and dissolution of the parliament. I call upon the govern-ment to accept the demands of a non-partisan neutral government,” he said.
Later, several thousand leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies began the road march to-wards the Science Lab area amid the presence of a huge number of law enforcers.
At the end of the programme peacefully, a chase and counter-chase took place between police and BNP leaders and activists in front of the City College area.
Later, police lobbed tear gas shells and charged batons to disperse the BNP men.
The BNP activists also hurled brick chips targeting police, Deputy Commissioner of Ramna division of DMP Md Ashraf Hossain said.
A vehicle was set on fire during the clash while some others were vandalized.
“Police took the situation under control and arrested some people from the spot,” said DC Ashraf.
Ashraf said a group of BNP leaders and workers attacked the police and obstructed the movement of vehicles, forcing the law enforcers to go into action.
He said 8/9 police personnel were injured in the attack. “We have arrested 15 people in this connection.”
While, Dhaka South City unit BNP convener Abdus Salam said they ended their road march peacefully near LabAid and asked their leaders and workers to go to their respective destinations.
“But police attacked our leaders and activists when they were returning home, leaving many of the in-jured. They also attacked our some leaders and activists, including Dhanmondi unit president Robiul Is-lam Robi,” he said
