The Jatiya Party central office in the capital鈥檚 Kakrail was vandalised and set on fire Thursday evening, after a reported attack on a torch procession brought out by the Anti-Fascist Students, Workers, and Public.
Witnesses said that the torch procession began from the Anti-Violence Raju Memorial Sculpture at Dhaka University and marched to Jatiya Party office at Bijaynagar to hold a sit-in in front of the office.
A chase and counter-chase took place between the protesters and JP activists at about around 7:00pm that left several people injured. JP leaders and activists left the office for safety after the incident, witnesses said.
After about half an hour of the incident, the protesters carried out attacks on the JP office and set fire to ground floor of the office alleging that the JP leaders and activists attacked their procession.
On information, two fire-fighting units rushed to the spot and doused the fire at about 8:00pm.
Chhatra Odhikar Parishad president Bin Yamin Molla said, 鈥楯P people with arms attacked our peaceful torch procession and the agitating protesters set the party office on fire protesting against the attack.鈥�
Denying the allegations, JP presidium member Jahirul Islam Jahir told 抖阴精品 that a group of people attacked their office and set it on fire at a time when they were holding a meeting there.
The situation came under control at about 9:00pm when police with the help of army personnel took control of the office area.聽
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ramna Division deputy commissioner Masud Alam said that the incident took place at about 7:30pm and police reached the spot at the earliest.
鈥榃e have heard that some leaders and activists of Gana Odhikar Parishad came to the Jatiya Party office in the evening,鈥� the Ramna DC said without giving further details.
At a brief rally at Dhaka University before the procession, the leaders of the protesters termed Jatiya Party as an aide of the 鈥榝ascist Awami League鈥� for their political activities and 鈥榗onspiracies against the country鈥�.
They labeled the Jatiya Party as an ally of the Awami League, asserting that they did not have any right to do politics.
They stated that no political activities or conspiracies against the country would be allowed.
After the rally, they proceeded to Bijaynagar to lay siege to the Jatiya Party office, where clashes erupted between the Jatiya Party activists and the protesters, resulting in injuries to several people.
After the attack on the JP office, Hasnat Abdullah, one of the organisers of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, called for another march from the Raju Sculpture to Bijaynagar, alleging that protesters were attacked by JP people. The march was, however, not brought out.
Hasnat also posted statuses on his verified Facebook page, accusing the Jatiya Party of attack on Anti-Discrimination Student Movement activists.