NCP attacked again, this time in Sylhet: Sarjis

The National Citizen Party’s July March programme has come under attack again, this time in Golapganj, Sarjis Alam, the party’s chief organiser (North), said in a Facebook post on Thursday. 

In a post, he wrote, “BNP criminals have again attacked our car in Golapganj, Sylhet. They have vandalised the car.”

Minutes later, Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary, in a post from verified Facebook account, said the NCP convoy came under attack twice in twenty minutes.

In another post, directly addressing Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, he wrote: "Is your political roadmap built on violence, intimidation and silencing opponents? Bangladesh deserves answers, not more bloodshed."

Earlier in the day, the NCP scheduled to hold an exchange of views with the families of those it describes as July martyrs in Golapganj. 

Meanwhile, five platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed in five upazilas of Sylhet in view of the National Citizen Party's (NCP) July marches and rallies.

Sylhet Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Operations) Zakir Hossain said BGB personnel had been deployed in Osmaninagar, Jaintapur, Kanaighat, Gowainghat and Companiganj to help maintain law and order during the programmes.

The NCP is scheduled to hold a march and rally in Kanaighat at 3pm, followed by another in Osmaninagar at 7pm.

On Friday, the party will hold similar programmes in Companiganj at 3pm, Gowainghat at 5pm and Jaintapur at 7pm.

Earlier, the Home Ministry instructed the district administration to deploy BGB personnel in the five upazilas to ensure law and order during the events.

Sylhet Assistant Superintendent of Police (Media) Samrat Talukder said adequate numbers of police personnel, both in uniform and plain clothes, would also be deployed across the five upazilas to maintain security.

Defying police stoppages and a Section-144, the National Citizens Party (NCP) on Wednesday filed a complaint with the Habiganj Sadar Police Station over the attack on its leaders and activists in Habiganj.

The complaint was filed at the Kamaichada Police Camp in the presence of the Habiganj District Superintendent of Police, after overcoming four police barricades, sand trucks and vehicle barriers.

Police had earlier also stopped them from reaching the main town.

The Habiganj district administration imposed Section 144 across the municipal area after the NCP and BNP's associate bodies – Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal and Swechchhasebak Dal – announced separate protest rallies on the Town Hall premises at 3:00pm.

The restrictions came amid heightened tension following violence in the district on Tuesday evening.

The NCP alleged that its leaders Sarjis and Nasiruddin were attacked by local BNP leaders and activists while leaving the venue after addressing a programme marking the July mass uprising near the Court Mosque.

During the unrest, several central leaders, including Sarjis Alam and Nasiruddin Patwari, were reportedly confined inside a Sonali Bank branch before police and other law enforcement agencies escorted them to safety later that night. 

At least 20 NCP leaders and activists, including Sarjis Alam and district Member Secretary Mahbubur Rahman Mubin, were injured in the attacks, while several vehicles in the convoy were vandalised.

Police later escorted the two leaders to the Circuit House for security.

Sarjis had blamed activists of Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal for the attack.