At least 15 people were injured after police charged batons on a procession brought out by the leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in support of the ongoing non-cooperation movement in Barishal city on Wednesday.
Eight people, including Abul Hossain Khan, BNP convener of Barishal south zone, were arrested from the spot.
Abu Naser Mohammad Rahmatullah, a member of the party's national executive committee, said party leaders and activists took out a procession in the morning from the party office on Sadar Road. BNP leaders were distributing leaflets requesting people to boycott the 7 January, said the BNP leader.
“When the procession reached Ashwin Kumar Hall in the city, police swooped on the protesters and charged batons to disperse the procession.”
Abul Kalam Shahin, member secretary of Barishal south zone BNP, said, police also dragged several BNP leaders and activists into police vans triggering a scuffle.
At that time, 15 to 20 leaders and activists of BNP, including Akon Kuddusur Rahman, the party’s central assistant organising secretary, were injured, he said.
On the contrary, ATM Anisul Haque, officer-in-charge of Barisal Kotwali Model Police Station, denied the allegation of charging baton and said “We dispersed the BNP leaders and activists who gathered without any prior permission as they were blocking the road and disrupting traffic.”
“Police did not act violently. We have arrested several people on the spot. The details on the matter will be provided later.”, said OC Anisul.