At least 20 wounded after police baton-charge BNP rally in Khulna

At least 30 people including police personnel were injured in a clash between the law enforcers and BNP supporters over holding a pre-scheduled rally of the party in front of Khulna Press Club in the city on Friday afternoon.

Shafiqul Islam Tuhin, member secretary of Khulna Metropolitan Unit BNP, claimed that at least 20 leaders and activists of their party were injured in the attack by the police.

Several party men including their leaders Mujibur Rahman and Jahidul Rahman also sustained bullet injuries, he said.

Moreover, 10 people were detained from the rally venue, he said, adding that the injured were admitted to several hospitals of the city.

The BNP leader alleged that police opened fire on them, charged batons and used teargas to spoil the rally without any provocation.

Party insiders said there was a scheduled rally in front of the Press Club on Friday afternoon to press home their 10-point demand including resignation of the government, stoppage of fake cases and mass arrest and protest of the government’s corruption among others.

The party men from different areas of the district and city started gathering at the venue at noon. A clash broke out when police obstructed a procession heading towards the rally venue, they said.

Md Tajul Islam, deputy commissioner (South) of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP), said, “We were forced to use teargas when the BNP men threw brickbats targeting us without any excuse”.

He said they detained 10 BNP men from the spot and some cops were injured in the incident.

An additional number of the law enforcing agencies were deployed to avert any unexpected incident, he said, adding that the situation was now under their control.