Police roughshod over blockaders during Bangabhaban siege

Maul senior grand alliance leaders unprovoked; pickets retaliate by throwing hand bombs; country remains paralysed

Five top leaders of the Awami League (AL)-led grand alliance were injured as police assaulted them while using brute force to disperse alliance activists and leaders from around the Bangabhaban during a siege of it yesterday that triggered violent clashes between the law enforcers and the demonstrators. Policemen in riot gear brutally assaulted the leaders at Noor Hossain Square and fired teargas shells inside the AL central office on Bangabandhu Avenue during the siege that was also marked by police-demonstrators pitched battles in Fakirerpool and Joykali temple area. The leaders -- Tofail Ahmed, Rashed Khan Menon, Nurul Islam, Dilip Barua and Haji Mohammad Selim -- fell to the ground due to the police beating without any let up in two to three minutes. A ferocious attack by AL activists using brickbats and homemade bombs forced the police to retreat at least 50 metres and the activists rescued the injured leaders.

Besides, at least 50 demonstrators and policemen were wounded in clashes during the siege of the president's office on the last day of the alliance's three-day countrywide blockade demanding resignation of Iajuddin Ahmed from the post of chief adviser and announcement of a new schedule for the general election after 'proper updating' of the voter list. The Bangabhaban was cordoned off by a heavy security net comprising several thousand police, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) personnel. Five truckloads of army also patrolled around it frequently as the demonstrators chanted slogans like 'army-janata bhai bhai, Iajuddiner fanshi chai'. Police and BDR stood in several lines on the roads leading to the Bangabhaban from Dainik Bangla intersection, and from Paltan to Bangabandhu Avenue. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) had already imposed a ban on squatting around the Bangabhaban to prevent a siege of it.

This situation followed arrest of one Awami Jubo Mohila League activist from a procession that attempted to stage a sit-in beside police barricades near Noor Hossain Square. Alliance activists then hurled dozens of handmade bombs and volleys of brickbats from both ends of Bangabandhu Avenue at riot police. Police then launched an all out attack on the activists forcing them into the AL office and to flee through Golap Shah Mazar area. Police also fired a large number of tear gas shells, at least two of those into the AL office. AL activists retaliated by pelting brickbats and handmade bombs from the roofs of adjoining buildings. A section of alliance activists at the rear of the procession started hurling brickbats and homemade bombs, prompting police to go for indiscriminate beating of anyone before them.

The senior leaders, hoping they would be spared, stood still. But police became more aggressive as alliance activists continued to hurl brickbats. Police then swooped on the leaders and bashed them with batons even after they had fallen to the ground. Following the police clubbing, several hundred demonstrators darted out to the main road and different alleyways in Fakirerpool and started raining brickbats on the law enforcers. Police fired more than 100 teargas shells and rubber bullets on the demonstrators. At least 20 people including some policemen were wounded as the fighting continued till 2:45pm. Police picked up at least 30 leaders and activists from the spot.

Army given power to arrest anyone without warrant

The Election Commission (EC) in an unprecedented move yesterday agreed to allow the armed forces to arrest anyone from any place without a warrant during their engagement in election duties. The Armed Forces Division in a proposal earlier sought the power for the army, navy and the air force for seven days including the polling day to ensure a peaceful atmosphere and security of voters in light of the existing law and order situation.

Responding to the proposal, the EC finally asked the home ministry yesterday to issue a notification to allow the armed forces to have the authority as they had desired in addition to the power they already have to arrest any person within a radius of four hundred yards of a polling station on the polling day. The EC in its letter to the home ministry however did not specify the time limit for allowing the armed forces to exercise the new power. The home ministry will decide for how many days the armed forces will be allowed to exercise the power.

But sources in the EC said the armed forces will enjoy the power for 20 days from January 10, the day of their deployment across the country on election duties. President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed yesterday directed the armed forces to carry out their assigned duties for holding the January 22 parliamentary election in a fair manner. The president gave the instruction when Army Chief Lt Gen Moeen U Ahmed called on him in Bangabhaban in the afternoon. Being legally empowered, the army, navy and the air force will be able to take actions against any person if the person is guilty of unduly influencing or compelling any other person to vote or to refrain from voting, directly or indirectly, by himself or herself or by any other person on his or her behalf. The home ministry will now issue fresh instructions amending the previous circular issued by it on January 3.

According to the existing electoral laws, a member of any law enforcement agency including the army, navy and the air force shall have the power to arrest any person without a warrant for maintenance of peace, law and order in a polling station or within a radius of four hundred yards of a polling station on the polling day. The power given to the armed forces, for the first time through a controversial ordinance in 2001, also allows them to take actions against any activity that goes against the electoral code of conduct. AFD now has an additional authority of exercising this power all over the constituencies, which will have the polls on January 22. According to the election laws, the armed forces can also themselves remove or issue orders to remove multi-coloured posters or portraits of candidates, campaign gates and arches, barricades, banners, microphones, loudspeakers, and decorative campaign illuminations, and can paint over graffiti on walls.

BNP men agitate for ticket -Rival asks party men to 'chase' nominee in Kishoreganj

BNP candidates continued agitation yesterday for 4-party alliance tickets in several constituencies in different districts. They held rallies and brought out processions in their areas demanding nomination and rejecting rival BNP leaders as candidates.

A BNP nomination seeker from Kishoreganj-3 (Sadar) at a party meeting at his election office in Station Road area in the district town Friday night asked his followers to 'chase' 4-party alliance nominee former BNP lawmaker Ataur Rahman Khan and his workers whenever they are seen in the constituency, reports our Kishoreganj correspondent. Disgruntled BNP nomination seeker retired judge Rejaul Karim Khan Chunnu at the meeting said his men would not give Ataur Rahman Khan any chance to come out on streets in the constituency to campaign for the coming election. Warning the party high command, Chunnu said, Kishoreganj BNP would face serious consequence if Ataur Rahman is given ticket from the constituency. Chunnu also urged his activists to form committees at each ward and union to resist Ataur Rahman Khan. Chunnu joined BNP on October 7 at a function in Kishoreganj town, attended by BNP chief Khaleda Zia. BNP leaders and activists brought out a big processions in the town on the previous day protesting his joining the party.

In Pabna, rival BNP leaders and activists brought out procession, held a rally and burnt an effigy of former lawmaker Anwerul Islam, a four-party alliance nominee from Pabna-3 (Chatmoher upazila) constituency. They also held demonstrations on Thursday in the area protesting his nomination, a correspondent reported.