DHAKA, Dec 8, 2022 (BSS) - Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said BNP and its leaders are responsible for the Naya Paltan incident that took place on Wednesday.

"We have been saying for a long time that BNP wants to create chaos, not to hold a rally. BNP called for holding rally on December 10. But you see how BNP carried out attacks on police in front of their party office in Naya Paltan on December 7 and how they set fire on vehicles including BRTC buses on Tuesday night," he said.

The minister said police also recovered 15 unexploded cocktails, two lakh bottles of water, 160 bags of rice, hotchpotch, cookeries and cash Taka two lakh.

Hasan said this while exchanging views with reporters at the meeting room of his ministry at Secretariat in the capital.

He said BNP leaders and activists started gathering in Naya Paltan from afternoon and police repeatedly requested them to keep at least one lane open when a road was blocked there.

But, they (BNP) ignored the request, he said, adding the deputy commissioner (DC) of Motijheel-Ramna area also requested them. They hit the DC with sticks from behind and his bodyguard was also injured severally, he said.

Later, the minister said, BNP leaders and activists carried out attacks on police and 35 policemen were injured. Of them, eight were admitted to hospitals, said Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary.

He said police were compelled to fire teargas. A common man died there and police think that he died due to the injury by cocktails, he added.

He said the reason of the death will be confirmed after postmortem.

The minister said BNP has been telling that about 10 lakh people will gather in their rally. But, 10 thousand to twenty thousand people can gather at Naya Palta, he added.

For this, he said, Suhrawardy Udyan has been allocated for their rally. They also can use Pallabi Ground in Mirpur or Kalshi Ground where BNP has already held rally or Biswa Ijtema Ground or trade fair field, he added.

But, he said, BNP wants to hold rally in Naya Paltan with the intention of creating anarchies.

Hasan said the government didn't obstruct BNP to hold rally peacefully and they have already held nine rallies across the country successfully. The government provided all out cooperation to hold rallies smoothly and the leaders and activists of AL have been asked to have patience even in the face of their provocations, he added.

In fact, he said, BNP doesn't want peace in the country. For this, they created chaos yesterday, he added.

Hasan said the government would not allow anyone to create violence. The most vocal leaders of BNP are accused in different cases, including arson attacks cases, as financers, order givers or participants, he added.

He said the BNP leaders including Rizvi Ahmed are accused facing arrest warrants and they went in Naya Paltan yesterday. It is the responsibility of police to arrest the person when a wanted accused appears in front of the force, he added.

He said the government has to take actions against those leaders when they carry cocktails inside their party office. And the government has taken this step, he added.

The minister said BNP carried out grenade and bombs attacks on Awami League's rally when they were in power. Even, they killed 24 AL leaders and activists through carrying out grenade attacks on August 24, 2004, he added.

He said BNP killed a dozen of people by attacking on a rally of Sheikh Helal while they killed Shah AMS Kibria and Ahsanullah Master through attacking in their rallies. Even, police physically assaulted AL veteran politician Mohammad Nasim and Matia Chowdhury, he added.

But, Hasan said, a single cocktail did not blast in BNP's rally.

Replying to a query over a comment of the US State Department, the minister said the US government didn't give any statement. A journalist who earlier worked in the press wing of Begum Khaleda Zia asked a question and they replied, he added.

He said it is not the statement of the US government in any way.

Hasan said BNP staged the incident of Wednesday in a plan way through declaring to hold rally at Naya Paltan and ignoring the offer of a suitable ground for the rally. The BNP and its leaders are responsible for the incidents, he added.

Replying to another query over the World Human Rights Day on December 10, Hasan said the scenario of violating human rights by BNP will be sent to the world leaders.