No public participation in BNP’s ongoing blockade.Adviser on ICT to the Prime Minister Sajib Wazed Jai reiterated his earlier stand on public non-participation in the ongoing blockade by showing media coverage of at least two bus vandalism from a BNP rally led by Sunamganj district BNP branch president Kalim Uddin Milan.
According to a video recorded and circulated by Samakal, on November 8, some people led by BNP leader Kalim besieged Madanpur. They blocked the Sylhet highway junction with sticks and rods and ransacked. BNP organizing secretary Kamrul Islam and general secretary of Sunamganj district branch Nurul Islam were also seen with sticks during the vandalism. Sajeeb Wazed posted a video compiling such media reports from his Verified X handle (formerly Twitter).
It can be seen in the video, panicked by their sudden presence in Sunamganj, located in the north-eastern part of Bangladesh, the street shopkeepers closed their shops. Meanwhile, they vandalized a bus with sticks and rods. In turn another CNG was damaged in the attack. During and after the vandalism, slogans of ‘blockade will continue’, ‘burn, burn’, ‘Ziar Sainik’ were raised.
Later, former BNP MP Milon welcomed the attackers and gave a short speech in which he warned of severe consequences.
Pointing to the presence of around 20 people in the video, Sajib Wazed wrote ‘During the speech, he claims that the blockade has the support of the countrymen. But the video aired in the media shows that there was no mass participation, just a group of 20 loyal cadres.’
Called for further violence, the same group vandalized another bus and later fled on sensing the presence of the police.
Meanwhile, later in the evening, a group of arsonists led by the Joint Convener of Nationalist Chhatra Dal Chittagong Metropolitan Branch, Kazi Salauddin Quader Asad, held another rally calling for the implementation of the blockade. According to the video, they are seen carrying fire sticks amid reports of vehicles being set on fire, creating a sense of panic among passers-by.
No public participation in BNP’s ongoing blockade
No public participation in BNP’s ongoing blockade No public participation in BNP’s ongoing blockade No public participation in BNP’s ongoing blockade