Jatiya Party alleges police attack at rally, calls it an ‘ominous sign’

The Jatiya Party has alleged that police attacked its workers’ rally outside the party’s central office in Dhaka’s Kakrail, describing the incident as an “ominous sign” for national politics. The rally was disrupted around 3:30pm on Saturday after clashes ensued between police and party activists. Officers used batons, tear gas shells and stun grenades to disperse the crowd. At a press conference held after the incident, party Secretary General Shameem Haider Patwary accused police of using “excessive force”. He said, “We informed police about the rally. It is true we did not get formal permission. But every party in Bangladesh holds meetings in front of its office, and our gathering was entirely peaceful.” Ramna Division Deputy Police Commissioner Md Masud...