BNP chief Khaleda Zia attacked during city election campaign in Dhaka

[Khalid Newazi]

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been attacked while campaigning for party-endorsed city election candidates in Dhaka.

Her party blamed the attack on the government and called a countrywide shutdown for Wednesday.

However, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina dubbed the incident a “drama” staged by her main political adversary.

Khaleda came under attack around 6pm on Monday at Karwan Bazar where she was addressing a roadside rally, witnesses said.

The former prime minister was halfway into her electoral pitch when slogans deriding her were shouted. “Chhi Chhi [Shame on you] Khaleda” reverberated from the kitchen market.

She was leaning out from the car through an open door and speaking to the crowd using a loud hailer in front of the Karupalli Bhaban.

She rushed through the remainder of her speech and the attack started immediately after she ended at 6pm, according to time stamps on photos taken by bdnews24.com photographer Asif Mahmud Ove.

Khaleda urged the voters to elect party-endorsed Dhaka North mayor candidate Tabith Awal for a “clean city”.

Witnesses said that objects and brickbats were hurled at the gathering from the buildings nearby in the first bout of attacks.


Khaleda ducked into the car and her motorcade started moving out towards Bangladesh Film Development Corporation.

A group of unidentified miscreants wielding sticks, logs and sledgehammers launched the attack.

The BNP chief’s security staff managed to get her out of the area unharmed but the vehicle she was on was damaged along with almost all the others in the motorcade, bdnews24.com Chief Political Correspondent Sumon Mahmud said.

Several of her security staff and journalists covering the event were injured. Many of them were seen bleeding from head wounds.

Her security affairs adviser Maj Gen (retd) Fazle Elahi Akbar claimed shots were fired at the BNP chief’s vehicle.

But the claim could not be verified independently.

Khaleda went to Shahjahanpur after the attack and campaigned for BNP-backed Dhaka South mayor contender Mirza Abbas.

A police officer on duty at the scene told TV reporters that they could not identify or detain any of the attackers.

BNP’s Standing Committee Member Moudud Ahmed alleged the Bangladesh Chhatra League activists spearheaded the attack aided by police.


“This was a planned attack to eliminate the BNP chairperson,” he claimed.

Khaleda boycotted 2014 general elections but endorsed candidates for the Apr 28 city polls.

She introduced her party-backed Dhaka mayor candidates at a function on Apr 14. She urged voters to stage a ‘silent revolution’ and make her party-endorsed candidates win the polls.

On Monday, police deployed at her house were withdrawn as she currently holds no post that entitles her to police protection.

Hasina had urged people to question Khaleda, wherever she went to campaign, over the violence during the anti-government movement.

The BNP chief hit the campaign trail on Saturday. A day later, ruling Awami League activists obstructed her campaign in Uttara.

BNP chief Khaleda Zia attacked during city election campaign in Dhaka -
bdnews24.com

 

[scholseys]

Its a one woman party, the rest has jumped the gun or waiting for a divine intervention for the BNP to come to power so that they can loot. This BNP is a sinking ship.

 

[Armstrong]

Its a one woman party, the rest has jumped the gun or waiting for a divine intervention for the BNP to come to power so that they can loot. This BNP is a sinking ship.

Khaleda Auntie keh khilaaf baat na karnaa !

Shes @BDforever 's political ideal !

 

[T-Rex]

Its a one woman party, the rest has jumped the gun or waiting for a divine intervention for the BNP to come to power so that they can loot. This BNP is a sinking ship.

You sound like Hasina is a vey democratic leader and AL leaders are all MR. CLEAN. The state residence of the PM was given to Hasina as her personal property, now I call that 'looting' or plundering state property. So,cut your crap and stay in your rat hole.

 

[scholseys]

You sound like Hasina is a vey democratic leader and AL leaders are all MR. CLEAN. The state residence of the PM was given to Hasina as her personal property, now I call that 'looting' or plundering state property. So,cut your crap and stay in your rat hole.

Hasina and Khaleda, neither are democratic leaders. Khaleda has adopted a pro Indian policy, she has not spoken about the border killings or tried to start a nationalist campaign using India's reluctance to sign the teesta water treaty, she has not spoken against Indian hegemony in the country. So what is the different between Khaleda and Hasina? democracy is not a moral high ground that Khaleda can use to topple this govt., she has violated the principles of democracy herself. You sound like Falu's relative with your statement...

 

[T-Rex]

Hasina and Khaleda, neither are democratic leaders. .

But in your first post you forgot to mention Hasina, that disqualifies you as someone neutral.

Khaleda has adopted a pro Indian policy, she has not spoken about the border killings or tried to start a nationalist campaign using India's reluctance to sign the teesta water treaty, she has not spoken against Indian hegemony in the country. So what is the different between Khaleda and Hasina?

Nobody can beat Hasina in the art of satanic practices but obviously you're too blind to see that.

democracy is not a moral high ground that Khaleda can use to topple this govt., she has violated the principles of democracy herself. You sound like Falu's relative with your statement...

At present there's no democracy in BD to begin with so there's no question of violating your so-called democratic principles. You can shout as much as you want but that won't make me Falu's relative any more than he is to you.

 

[scholseys]

But in your first post you forgot to mention Hasina, that disqualifies you as someone neutral.



Nobody can beat Hasina in the art of satanic practices but obviously you're too blind to see that.



At present there's no democracy in BD to begin with so there's no question of violating your so-called democratic principles. You can shout as much as you want but that won't make me Falu's relative any more than he is to you.

My 6000 posts, most of them which are anti-awami league should show my distaste towards Hasina. Khaleda does not need to resort to satanic practises, she just needs to make the public aware of Hasina's pro Indian practices of selling the nation, Khaleda has failed to do so.
There is no democracy in BD, I agree and Khaleda does not have the moral high ground to talk about democracy, the people of Bangladesh simply does not care about democracy thus no one participated in the bnp's anti govt protest, even the bnp walas were sitting home.

 

[T-Rex]

My 6000 posts, most of them which are anti-awami league should show my distaste towards Hasina.

Your distaste towards Hasina has not made you honest about the situation any more than Hasina is.

Khaleda does not need to resort to satanic practises

She did not and that is her weakness, if she had she would have toppled Hasina by now. You have been following too much of Hasina's yellow media.

she just needs to make the public aware of Hasina's pro Indian practices of selling the nation, .

People are quite aware of it but the problem is they don't have the guns, Hasina's generals and thugs do.

the people of Bangladesh simply does not care about democracy...

That's exactly what Hasina has been saying to the world. Lately she has been heard saying that 'development first, democracy next". However, democracy takes the front seat whenever she's in the opposition. You see, people are not buying this hypocrisy anymore and this is why she needs to hijack the elections with the help of guns.

 

[scholseys]

Your distaste towards Hasina has not made you honest about the situation any more than Hasina is.



She did not and that is her weakness, if she had she would have toppled Hasina by now. You have been following too much of Hasina's yellow media.



People are quite aware of it but the problem is they don't have the guns, Hasina's generals and thugs do.




That's exactly what Hasina has been saying to the world. Lately she has been heard saying that 'development first, democracy next". However, democracy takes the front seat whenever she's in the opposition. You see, people are not buying this hypocrisy anymore and this is why she needs to hijack the elections with the help of guns.

Khaleda and her son has tried everything to topple the govt. including your so called 'satanic' practices but was completely out maneuvered by Hasina. The people of Bangladesh did not take the streets and topple Hasina, there was simply no uprising and chances are are there will be none.

 

[T-Rex]

Khaleda and her son has tried everything to topple the govt. including your so called 'satanic' practices but was completely out maneuvered by Hasina. The people of Bangladesh did not take the streets and topple Hasina, there was simply no uprising and chances are are there will be none.

As I said, you have been following too much of Hasina's yellow media. People do not take to the streets not because of indifference or their lack of support but because of the guns of Hasina's dogs. You're are reading but not between lines.

 

[scholseys]

As I said, you have been following too much of Hasina's yellow media. People do not take to the streets not because of indifference or their lack of support but because of the guns of Hasina's dogs. You're are reading but not between lines.

The people need a moral cause to hit the ground not a cause that they do not believe in, democracy by the BNP is simply not a moral high ground coming from the BNP. If 500,000 decide to hit the streets, hasina's guns would have become impotent, not even 1000 did hit the streets. You have been reading too much of blind BNP media...

 

[T-Rex]

The people need a moral cause to hit the ground .

My foot! If so, Kashmir would have been independent today and it wouldn't take decades for Vietnam to get hers.

not even 1000 did hit the streets. You have been reading too much of blind BNP media...

There were more than a million supporters of Hefazote Islam in the streets of Dhaka and they were riddled with bullets. So, it's not so easy as you think. As for BNP media, only a person who pretends to be blind says that BNP has any control over the media. I know you're not blind, you're just acting like one.

 

[scholseys]

My foot! If so, Kashmir would have been independent today and it wouldn't take decades for Vietnam to get hers.



There were more than a million supporters of Hefazote Islam in the streets of Dhaka and they were riddled with bullets. So, it's not so easy as you think. As for BNP media, only a person who pretends to be blind says that BNP has any control over the media. I know you're not blind, you're just acting like one.

Kashmir is patrolled by the army, a mass uprising that the AL would use the security apparatus to suppress would have brought the army, the BNP has failed in all. As I said, the BNP needs a moral cause to topple the government, a nationalist cause. The Teesta water agreement and campaigning against India is the perfect platform, but the BNP has sold its soul.

 

[punit]

My foot! If so, Kashmir would have been independent today and it wouldn't take decades for Vietnam to get hers.



There were more than a million supporters of Hefazote Islam in the streets of Dhaka and they were riddled with bullets. So, it's not so easy as you think. As for BNP media, only a person who pretends to be blind says that BNP has any control over the media. I know you're not blind, you're just acting like one.

how many millions were killed than !

 

[T-Rex]

Kashmir is patrolled by the army, a mass uprising that the AL would use the security apparatus to suppress would have brought the army, the BNP has failed in all.

Where was the army when Hefazote brought out a million men demonstration? Besides, as far as I know the BNP leaders do not want to see the army come to power and that's the problem with BNP.

As I said, the BNP needs a moral cause to topple the government, a nationalist cause. The Teesta water agreement and campaigning against India is the perfect platform, but the BNP has sold its soul.

BNP has a legitimate cause and whatever is legitimate is moral. BNP cannot possibly sell itself, for the buyers already have a faithful slave in AL.