Gaibandha Sadar police station BNP member secretary Ilyas Hussain said that the police stopped the procession and resorted to lathicharge without any provocation.
Masood Rana, in-charge of Gaibandha police station, told Prothom Alo that BNP men ransacked several shops on Park Road with their procession and created a chaotic situation. Police fired six shells of tear gas to control the situation.
The OC said two BNP men have been detained in connection with the incident.
In Bhola, a BNP procession marking the foundation anniversary was allegedly indiscriminately attacked by AL men in Borhanuddin upazila.
The incident took place at around 10:30 am in front of the sub-district office of BNP.
BNP claimed that more than 50 of its leaders-workers were injured during the attack. The injured persons were treated at various hospitals in Borhanuddin, Bhola and Barishal. The house of Borhanuddin Paurashwa, the BNP president and former mayor Syedur Rahman, was reportedly vandalized during the attack.
Eyewitnesses said BNP men gathered in front of the party office since morning and cut a cake to celebrate the anniversary. When the BNP men took out the procession around 10.30 pm, the ruling party men led by Upazila Jubo League president Tajuddin Khan suddenly attacked the procession and dispersed the BNP men.
Upazila BNP organizing secretary MD Sarwar Alam alleged that AL and Jubo League leaders-workers attacked the procession. Later when they were returning home they attacked many BNP people.
He accused the police of inaction while people from the ruling party were attacking BNP people.
Jubo League president Tajuddin Khan denied leading the attack and said BNP men attacked a ‘peace procession’ taken out by workers of the ruling party.
He also denied any attack on the house of BNP leader Syedur Rahman.
Monir Miya, officer-in-charge of Borhanuddin police station, denied any incident of clash. He told that there was a dispute and a fight between the two parties. The police was present between the two sides. Police has video footage of the incident. BNP’s allegation is wrong.