BNP men, cops clash in city

Police arrested at least 15 activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) after clashes broke out between unruly protesters and police in and around the Bakshibazar area in the capital on Tuesday afternoon.
Maruf Hossain Sardar, Deputy Commissioner of DMP (Ramna Zone), told the Daily Observer that several hundred leaders and activists of the party brought out a procession in the Secretariat area at around 3:30pm after BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia came out of a makeshift court at Bakshibazar following submission of her self-defence statement in connection with two graft cases.
The BNP men went on a rampage as police intercepted their procession. During the melee the agitators set fire to a motorbike and vandalized a number of vehicles on the street, Maruf said.
Police picked up 20 to 25 people from the spot. At least 27 people were injured in the clash and 70 public and private vehicles damaged.
Law enforcers dispersed the demonstrators by lobbing tear gas shells near the Doel Intersection on the Dhaka University campus as they tried to proceed towards the main entrance of the High Court in the afternoon.
Witnesses said police intercepted the BNP procession near Doel Intersection and dispersed them by lobbying tear gas shells.
BNP leaders and activists started the demonstration while the BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia crossed the area after appearing at Dhaka Special Court-5 at Bakshibazar to secure her bail in Zia Orphanage and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases. The Judge of the court granted the bail upon her surrender before the court.
During the agitation, police and BNP men chased each other intermittently for half an hour while several vehicles including a BRTC bus were vandalised near the Govt Officers' Hospital at Bangabazar and also near the National Press Club, the Secretariat and Curzon Hall areas. A motor cycle of a police sergeant was also set ablaze near the hospital.
BNP chairpersons press wing official Shyrul Kabir Khan told journalists that police arrested 15 to 20 of their men from different points during the procession. Aminul Islam, a former footballer and captain of national football team and Rafiqul Islam, former councillor of Ward No 32 were among those held by police, he added.  
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Tuesday secured bail in the Zia Orphanage Trust and Zia Charitable Trust graft cases after she surrendered before the makeshift court in Bakhshibazar in Dhaka.
Meanwhile, Maruf Hossain said at least three members of law enforcers were injured during the clash and police have picked up several people from the spots. The situation is now under control, he added.