The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Sunday condemned and protested at the attack by the 'police and ruling party goons' on activists of Islamist parties which are enforcing a countrywide 30-hour general strike beginning Sunday morning.
The party's joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed at a hurriedly called press briefing at the BNP chairperson's office at Gulshan at 9:00pm alleged that the police and ruling party goons in police protection carried out attacks on leaders and activists of the Islamist parties.
'An unprecedented reign of terror was unleashed in Narayanganj [near the Kanchpur bridge] by the police and ruling party activists,' Rizvi said. 'The police and ruling party goons also attacked supporters of the strike across the country.'
'Even the imams of mosques were not spared,' he alleged.
He said that the BNP had extended support for the general strike the Islamist parties are enforcing.
He demanded immediate release of the Islamic party leaders and activists who were arrested and withdrawal cases filed against them.
Rizvi said that as the BNP extended its support for the strike, its central office had been cordoned off by the police and no leaders and activists of the party were let in.
Twelve religion-based political parties are enforcing the strike in protest against the dropping of the phrase 'Absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah' from the constitution by way of the 15th amendment.
Source : New Age
