BNP, AL sue each other

Two cases of attempted murder have been filed by the Awami League and BNP camps against one another following an attack on Khaleda Zia's motorcade in the capital's Karwan Bazar on Monday. 

More than a hundred ruling party men were accused in the case filed by the BNP chief's security chief Maj Gen (retd) Fazle Elahi Akbar yesterday.

Almost the same number of BNP men was sued by AL Ward-26 President Jahirul Haque Zillu. The accused include unnamed members of Khaleda's personal security force, the CSF. 

The case statement of Fazle Elahi said a group of over 100 people chanting "Joy Bangla" slogan swooped on Khaleda's motorcade with stick, rods and other weapons. They vandalised the BNP chief's private car as well as other vehicles.   

A shot was also fired targeting the BNP chief's vehicle, but she was unharmed as it was bullet-proof. The bullet mark was visible on the car, the statement read. 
The attack was carried out to kill Khaleda, it said.

The complainant added that six policemen deployed at Khaleda's Gulshan residence were mysteriously withdrawn earlier in the day. 
Jahirul Haque Zillu in his case statement accused a member of the Chairperson's Security Force (CSF) of firing six shots in an attempt to kill him. However, the bullets missed him.

On Monday, he claimed, around 100 BNP men, including CSF members, delivered provocative speeches against the activists who were campaigning for AL-backed Mayoral candidate Annisul Huq and councillor candidate Shameem Hasan. 

After a while, BNP leaders and activists wielding sticks and rods attacked the AL men, leaving five injured, said the case statement. As police reached the spot, the attackers ran towards Hatirjheel, it added.   

Talking to reporters at the secretariat yesterday, State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said the CSF members are responsible for the violence, reports BSS. 

"We must remember that this is the same Karwan Bazar, where innocent people were killed and their properties damaged in petrol bomb blasts and arson during the 79 days' hartal and blockade enforced by her [Khaleda's] party and alliance." 

So, it is normal for traders to stage demonstrations after suffering a severe blow in the non-stop blockade, he added. 
"At that moment, the CSF personnel were trying to pick up Zillu, a trader who suffered huge losses during the hartal and blockade, from the demonstration and force him into their car. This sparked agitation against Khaleda Zia."

Deputy Commissioner of DMP Tejgaon Division Biplob Sarkar said they started investigating the cases, both filed with Tejgaon Police Station. Police have collected video footage of the incident.

KHALEDA'S CAMPAIGN 
The BNP chief's motorcade left her Gulshan residence at 5:15pm yesterday, the fourth consecutive day of her electioneering.
To seek vote for her-party blessed Dhaka South mayoral candidate Mirza Abbas, she first went to Shahjahanpur and then to Shantinagar. 

A police team was with Khaleda during the campaign.
Addressing a roadside rally at Shantinagar intersection, Khaleda claimed that the ruling party men carried out the attack on her motorcade on Monday.

"Bullets were sprayed towards my vehicle yesterday [Monday] in a bid to kill me. The bullet mark is still visible on my vehicle," she said. 
In a brief speech there, she said, "This illegal and repressive regime thought the BNP would not participate in the polls. The mass wave created in favour of BNP in Dhaka south and north has driven the government crazy," she said.

Speaking at another wayside rally in front of Polwel Super Market, Khaleda said Mirza Abbas is like her son. 
"I'd lost my husband for the country. A few days back, I also lost my son … Mirza Abbas is like my son. I come to you to seek votes with the pain of losing my son. You city dwellers can lessen my pain a bit by electing Abbas."

When her motorcade was passing through Fakirapool intersection around 8:25pm on her way home, some 15 to 20 men showed black flags to the BNP chief. 
They threw bottles, sticks and brickbats that landed on two media vehicles and a car of Khaleda's personal security men. None was hurt in the incident.

MEETING WITH DIPLOMATS
The BNP yesterday in a meeting briefed a number of foreign diplomats stationed in Dhaka about Monday's attack on Khaleda Zia's motorcade, party sources said.

A four-member BNP delegation led by standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan elaborately narrated the incident in a 45-minute meeting with the diplomats from around 4:15pm at Khaleda's Gulshan office. 

Ambassador and representatives of India, Pakistan, the EU, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Denmark, Netherlands, the UK, France, Australia, Canada, Turkey, Russia, Singapore, Qatar and Kuwait were present at the meet.

After the meeting, Khaleda's security and defence affairs adviser Maj Gen (retd) Fazle Elahi Akbar showed the foreign envoys a scratch on the glass of the BNP chief's personal vehicle caused by what he claimed was a bullet on Monday. 

BNP insiders said the delegation also showed the diplomats the "blood stains" on the vehicles and objects thrown into the cars.
Four microbuses damaged in the attack were also shown the diplomats, they added.  
Journalists didn't have access to the meeting. 

POLITICAL IMPACT
A number of BNP leaders said the attack on Khaleda Zia's car has exposed intolerance of the government and ruling AL. For this, the BNP-backed mayoral aspirant will have people's sympathy in the three city corporation elections. 

They added Khaleda Zia will not stop electioneering for the party backed mayoral aspirants in the two Dhaka city corporations.
Some AL leaders yesterday termed the attack unexpected and said it would ultimately help the BNP gain more public support. They believe such attacks should not be repeated.

According to insiders, the attack has also made BNP policymakers worried about grassroots leaders' participation in electioneering. 
BNP's senior leaders had thought that grassroots leaders who are on the run to avert arrest in different cases would come out and join electioneering. 

"But the attack on the party chief's motorcade has sent a fresh wave of panic among grassroots leaders. How can they appear in public when the party chief herself is facing attack in the streets?" one of the leaders said. 

A section of AL leaders believe the attack on Khaleda would not have any negative impact on voters as people already had rejected the BNP for its destructive politics. 

They believe the protest staged by the activists of the front organisation of the party will prevent the BNP's grassroots leaders from joining electioneering on a large scale.