The Jatiyo Party central office in the Dhaka's Kakrail was vandalised and sections of the office were torched on Saturday evening, a day after Gono Odhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Nur was seriously injured in a clash at the spot involving activists of his party, Jatiyo Party and the police.
Earlier in the day, Gono Odhikar Parishad leaders organised a protest march condemning the attack on Nur the previous day. After the procession, an unidentified group attacked the Jatiyo Party office around 6:30pm.
Members of law enforcement agencies were also present at the scene. Police used tear gas shells and water cannons to disperse the groups.
Eyewitnesses reported that at one stage of the attack, fire was set inside the Jatiyo Party office, and several publications stored in one of the rooms were burnt.
General Secretary of the GOP Rashed Khan came up with the announcement at a press briefing in front of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital on Friday night.
Police extinguished the blaze using water cannons. Meanwhile, a plaque bearing the image of Jatiyo Party founder and former Bangladesh president Hussain Muhammad Ershad was smashed and defaced.
Witnesses also said police initially tried to create a security cordon.
However, the attackers broke through and entered the premises. The police initially chased them away, but more people gathered from surrounding areas.
To disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control, police fired blank shots in foont of the Jatiya Party office, forcing the attackers to scatter.
Witnesses further said that although police had initially remained passive, they eventually chased the attackers as far as the Bijoynagar Water Tank.
No Jatiyo Party members were present in the office when the attack took place, the witnesses said.
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