At least 10 people, including five army personnel and journalists, were injured as Awami League leaders and activists allegedly attacked army members and other people while protesting at Sheikh Hasina’s ‘forced resignation’ from the post of the prime minister of Bangladesh and demanding her return to the country.
AL leaders and activists blocked Dhaka-Khulna highway at Gopinathpur area under Gopalganj Sadar upazila at about 3:00pm as part of its pre-scheduled programme organised by AL Gopinathpur, Jalalabad and Nizamkandi union units.
When army personnel asked them to clear the road at about 4:00pm as long tailbacks were created on the highway, the protesters attacked them, and vandalised an army vehicle and set fire to another one, said witnesses.
Inter-Services Public Relations in a press release on Saturday late night said that five army men, including three officers, one commissioned officer and a member, were injured as agitators threw brickbats at the army and attacked them with sharp weapons.
It also said that the incident took place at about 4:00pm when two army patrolling team reached the spot.
Two of their vehicles were vandalised and one was set on fire, said the ISPR release, adding that they fired four rounds ammunition to bring the situation under control.
Additional army teams were deployed in the area to avoid any untoward situation.
Demonstrations continued in Gopalganj for the fifth consecutive day after Sheikh Hasina resigned as the prime minister and fled to India amid mass uprising led by student protests on August 5.
Gopalganj district AL general secretary GM Shahabuddin Azam could not be reached for his comment as his phone was found switched off.
