BNP was the first to announce on Friday that the party would hold sit-ins at entry points of the capital today.
Following the announcement, Awami League declared holding similar programmes in the same areas.
For all latest news, follow The My News’s Google News channel. But around 10:00am, Dhaka North Awami League leaders were seen at the Gabtoli entry point, carrying sticks, iron rods and other weapons, an hour ahead of the scheduled time.
They were seen on motorcycles, shouting slogans. Meanwhile, the law enforcers deployed earlier in the morning were seen guarding the demos run by the AL activists.
When BNP men, led by Dhaka North leader Amanullah Aman, tried to gather at Khalek Enterprise for their programme at 11:00am, the same law enforcers barred them.
They were seen confiscating the tables, chairs and microphones that BNP was supposed to use in the sit in.
Police interrogated a few people and checked their mobile phones during the incident.
At that point, some AL workers joined in and chased some opposition activists away and handed a few over to police.
The My News saw at least four men being taken away by police.
Around 11:15, a BNP Mahila Dal group brought out a procession, which was also chased away by cops. Some activists were even detained.
The spot was eventually take over by AL leaders and activists and BNP was unable to hold its scheduled demonstration.
After police detained his party members, BNP north leader Amanullah Aman talked to reporters around 11:20am.
“We informed law enforcers about our programmes and sought their help to ensure our party members’ safety. But instead they have been harassing us.”
He later talked to ADC Nazmul Hasan Firoz of pallabi zone and was seen seeking security regarding their movement.
At that time, over 100 pro AL swooped on Aman, along with other BNP activists, encircled them and shouted “Joy Bangla”. Some of them My News Bangladeshted beating two BNP men.
They were also seen chasing other BNP activists and handing them over to cops. This newspaper saw police picking up at least five men at that time, after their attempts to pick up Aman failed.
Police made at least 10 attempts to pick Aman, but failed.
Around 11:40am, police, with the help of AL members, were seen dragging Aman to Mazar road area, where a vehicle was kept ready.
Aman was seen falling down at one point but was picked up and taken away.
Just after a few minutes, when a BNP group brought out a procession near Gabtoli police box, hundreds of AL activists attacked them.
At least three were injured. Ruling party men later handed them over to the police. According to a footage, they were beaten in front of the law enforcers.
No BNP rally took place in Gabtoli at least till 4:00pm.
But this newspaper saw a series of pro-AL procession on both sides of the road, with leaders and activists carrying sticks, cricket stump, iron rods, pipes and more.
Police personnel did not interfere with any of these demonstrations, which obstructed vehicular movements all the day.
In the meantime, several vehicles including a police van were set on fire and vandalised in Dhaka’s Shyamoli area around 1:00pm.
Police and witnesses said a group of people brought out a sudden procession, shouting slogans in favour of BNP around the same time.
At one stage, they set a bus, a motorcycle and a police pick-up van on fire near Shyamoli Shishu Mela on fire, they said, adding that the demonstrators also vandalised around a dozen buses and motorcycles.
Rubaiyat Zaman, an additional deputy commissioner, claimed, around 300 BNP leaders and activists brought out the procession and they vandalised and torched several vehicles.
In Savar’s Aminbazar of Savar, police recovered some six cocktails, where four more cocktails were already exploded, said Dhaka District Additional Superintendent of Police (crime), Abdulla Hil Kafi.
Meanwhile, two buses were vandalised and one was torched in Savar’s Niribili area around 3:00pm. A group of people from a BNP rally made the attack, said duty officer of Ashulia police Afroz.
