BNP men scuffle with volunteers at Shaheed Minar

Several people were injured in a scuffle between volunteers and BNP men at the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital early yesterday when people paid their tributes to the Language Movement martyrs.

The incident took place around 1:25am when BNP chief Khaleda Zia, flanked by party leaders and activists, placed wreaths at the monument, witnesses said.

Earlier, a Dhaka University professor was injured as leaders of BNP-backed student body Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal shoved a group of the university teachers.

Witnesses said that when Khaleda reached the Shaheed Minar, the DU teachers led by Vice Chancellor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique welcomed the BNP chief. But some JCD men shoved the teachers from behind, and Chairman of Department of Criminology Prof Zia Rahman fell on the stairs, they added.

In a Facebook status, Zia Rahman said the "attack" was "unthinkable and unacceptable". Later, some BNP men scuffled with the volunteers as the latter did not allow all of them to accompany Khaleda to the main premises of the memorial. Several videos showed BNP men beating the volunteers with shoes after the volunteers prevented them from ascending the Shaheed Minar stairs wearing shoes.

Prof Amzad Ali, acting proctor of DU, told The Daily Star that at least seven people including a professor were injured in the incidents. BNP Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed, however, claimed at a press briefing at the party central office yesterday that police repeatedly tried to bar Khaleda from going to the Shaheed Minar.  He also denied that BNP men attacked volunteers. "It was police who attacked BNP men, leaving at least 50 people injured," he claimed.