Dhaka: BNP on Wednesday alleged that police attacked its leaders and activists in front of the party office at Nayapaltan in the city without any ‘provocation at the behest’ of the government.

‘Police without any provocation opened fire on our brethren. They also lobbed teargas and charged baton on them. They attacked the peaceful gathering of our leaders and activists and created chaos,’ said party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, reports the UNB.

He further said, ‘I think the attack was made at the dictate of the government and its head. We strongly condemn and protest such attack.’

Rizvi came up with the remarks while talking to party leaders and activists after the attack.

He urged the party leaders and workers to exercise restraint and have patience without responding to any act of provocation.

The BNP leader also said their party acting chairman Tarique Rahman asked them from London to remain calm.

He also alleged that the government has beaten the honeycomb without knowing its consequences. ‘You (govt) won’t be able to suppress our leaders and activists with repressive acts, and bullets and teargas.’

Rizvi claimed that a good number of their leaders and activists, including Dhaka University unit JCD leader Abbas, Dhaka South city unit Jubo Dal leader Mehedi, Motijheel Jubo Dal leader Moqbul, Khilgaon Swechchhasebak Dal leader Moktar Hossain, Mugda Swechchhasebak Dal leader Sumon, Kalabagan Swechchhasebak Dal leader Sumon, Mugda BNP leader Arif, Shahjahanpur Chhatra Dal leaders Mohiuddin, Hasan and Tutul, Shahbagh BNP leader Kamal, Paltan BNP leader Abdul Kader, Sabujbagh BNP leaders Munir, Saiful and Mehedi, Ramna BNP leaders Giasuddin, Ratan, Asaduzzaman, Shamshul Haque and Abdur Razzak, and Khilgaon BNP leader Moniruzzaman, were injured in the attack.

Members of Doctors Association of Bangladesh provided wounded BNP leaders and activists with treatment inside the party office.

Rizvi urged law enforcers not to indulge in any unfair acts at anybody’s behest to maintain peace.

Party assistant office secretary Taiful Islam Tipu said the sale of their party’s nomination forms remained halted for two hours due to the clash.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also blamed police for the clash in front of their Nayapaltan central office and said it will only hamper the election atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Awami League alleged that BNP activists, led by party senior leader Mirza Abbas, attacked police ‘without any provocation’ in front of its Nayapaltan central office as part of the party’s ‘plot’ to foil the election and topple the government.

Speaking at a press conference at Awami League President’s Dhanmondi office, party general secretary Obaidul Quader also said the attack on police by BNP has demonstrated that the party does not want to join the election.

Earlier in the day, a fierce clash broke out between police and BNP leaders and activists in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, leaving an unspecified number of people, including law enforcers, injured.

Witnesses said BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas along with his several hundred supporters marched towards their party office around 12:40pm and started staging a showdown there before buying party’s nomination from, halting traffic on the road.

The clash ensued as police locked into an altercation with the BNP leaders and activists over clearing the road for vehicular movement.