The AL and its front organisations arranged elaborate programmes to observe the mourning day commemorating the 31st death anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Twenty leaders and activists were injured in the capital, 40 in Jessore and 20 others in Barisal as the BNP men swooped on them in a bid to foil the mourning day programmes.

In the capital, around 200 BNP men launched attacks in different areas of Kamrangirchar when the AL and its front organisations preparing foods for the destitute in the early hours of yesterday.

Talking to The Daily Star, a number of AL leaders accused local BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Amhed Pintu of leading the attacks.

The BNP men vandalised the decoration at the venues of mourning day programmes and looted foods for the destitute at Ashrafabad, Rani Market, Rahmatbagh, Matbar Bazar, Mujiburer Ghat, Bridge Ghat and Mominbagh under Kamrangirchar Police Station.

Kamrangirchar Jubo League Convenor Abdul Malek and Dr Mosharraf Hossain are among the injured.

Witnessed said the BNP men along with the police raided the programme venues and beat up opposition leaders and activists from 1:00am to 2:15am yesterday.

Protesting the attack, several hundred local people took to the streets, laid siege to Kamrangirchar Police Station and staged a demonstration there. But police resorted to batoncharge to disperse the demonstrators.

The locals claimed that the police have picked up a number of people from the areas. When the police denied having arrested anybody, they went on a rampage and vandalised a truck and a three-wheeler at about 3:30am.

Our correspondent in Jessore reports: at least 40 people were injured when the BNP men attacked an AL mourning procession at Navaron Bazar in Sharsha.

According to witnesses, the clash erupted when the AL took out a mourning procession in support of the countrywide half-day hartal and demanding execution of the verdict in Bangabandhu murder case.

At a press conference, the 14-party leaders alleged that the BNP cadres also ransacked the local AL office and set fire to seven motorcycles. The injured were undergoing treatment at local hospitals and clinics.

Our correspondent in Barisal adds: at least 20 opposition leaders and workers were injured in an attack on the mourning processions at Agoiljhara and Mehendiganj.

The BNP activists attacked the procession, leaving eight people injured.

The BNP activists also foiled mourning day programmes in the upazilas and the town.

The AL leaders and workers shifted their venue to Helipad area, about two kilometres away, but the Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal workers raided the area and foiled a discussion programme.

At least six leaders and workers of AL and its front organisations including Nazim Mahmud Talukder, Habibur Rahman Khokon, and Khairul Bashar were injured in the attack. They were rushed to Agoiljhara and Mehendiganj Thana Health Complexes.

The cadres again attacked some Jubo League leaders, including Shahabuddin, after they came to Mehendiganj from Barisal by speedboat at noon.

Our correspondent in Chittagong reports: the BNP-backed cadres foiled a mourning day programme at Rauzan yesterday.

Witnessed said some 30 BNP cadres and activists led by Rauzan unit secretary Manjurul Alam Manju and former Jubo Dal president Saber Sultan Kajol launched the attack at Upazila Sramik Union building at Jalilnagar bus station.

The cadres vandalised the sound system, chairs and tables at the programme venue and five shops and offices at the building.