The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

At least ten people, including a journalist and BNP activists, were injured in clashes between the law enforcers and BNP activists, at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital premises at Shahbagh yesterday.

Witnesses said nearly one thousand activists of BNP, Jubo Dal and Chattra Dal set up road block and held demonstration demanding the release the of BNP's senior joint secretary general Tarique Rahman.

Sources said, demonstrators surrounded the microbus, which was carrying Tarique to a special court at the Sangsad Bhaban from BSMMU around 10:00am in the morning yesterday. They chanted slogans demanding the release of Tarique from incarceration. The law enforcers told the demonstrators to leave the area. As the situation went beyond the control, police started baton charging them. The area soon turned into a veritable battlefield as hundreds of angry activists were locked into a fierce clash with the law enforcers. The tussle between the law enforcers and the activists continued till 1:00 pm.

The demonstrators left the BSMMU premises only when Tareque was brought back from the special court at the Sangsad Bhaban.

Tarique was brought to the special court yesterday in connection with the case filed by the Anti-corruption Commission against eight persons including Tareque and former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar for suppressing the involvement of Safiat Sobhan Sanbir, son of the Basundhara Group chairman Shah Alam, in the murder of Sabbir.

Sabbir, one of the directors of Bashundhara Group, was killed on July 4, 2006.