Monday, 01 September, 2025
Two separate arson attacks were reported at the Kakrail office. The first occurred around 6:30pm, when Gono Odhikar activists marched to the site, vandalised the exterior, and set part of the ground floor on fire. About an hour later, another group returned from the opposite alley and reignited the blaze. Police, present in large numbers, used water cannons to contain the flames and eventually dispersed the attackers.
Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner of Police Masud Alam told bdnews24.com: “They [Gono Odhikar Parishad] had a programme, and after it ended, they set the fire. We then cleared them out and extinguished the flames. The situation is now calm.”
Despite the heavy police presence, the violence unfolded before order was restored. No Jatiya Party leaders or members were seen at the scene, but tension lingered in the area late into the night.
According to witnesses, Gono Odhikar activists began gathering at their Bijoynagar office from 4pm. Following a rally, they marched through Paltan, the National Press Club, Matsyabhaban, and Kakrail. Blocked by police, the activists briefly retreated before returning to launch the attacks.
Jatiya Party Secretary General Shameem Haider Patwary held Gono Odhikar Parishad directly responsible, calling the assault “absolutely unacceptable” and claiming it was retaliation for Friday’s clashes near the Jatiya Party office in Bijoynagar.
The previous night’s violence saw police baton-charge a Gono Odhikar torch procession, during which Nurul Haque Nur was seriously injured. He remains in Dhaka Medical College Hospital. The incident has sparked widespread protests, with road blockades and vandalism reported across several districts, including Thakurgaon, Tangail, Mymensingh and Rajshahi.
In Thakurgaon’s Haripur Upazila, Gono Odhikar activists stormed the Jatiya Party office around 1pm on Saturday, vandalising dozens of chairs, tables, ceiling fans and cupboards before setting some furniture alight. Police and firefighters later brought the situation under control. “Legal action will be taken if a formal complaint is filed,” said Haripur Police chief Zakaria Mondal.
In Tangail, activists attacked the Jatiya Party office near Nirala Mor, breaking furniture and damaging the office sign. The Dhaka–Tangail–Jamuna Bridge highway was also blocked. Local Jatiya Party leaders condemned the attacks, with district general secretary Mohammad Mojammel Haque alleging they took place in front of law enforcers.
Mymensingh also witnessed violence late Friday, when a procession led by Gono Odhikar leaders vandalised the Jatiya Party office in Ishwarganj. Police confirmed property damage but said no formal complaint had yet been lodged.
Meanwhile, in Rajshahi, Gono Odhikar activists set fire to the Jatiya Party office at Ghan Para after a late-night rally from Saheb Bazar Zero Point. Witnesses reported that the blaze caused significant damage before being extinguished.
Across the country, Gono Odhikar leaders insisted the attacks were an outburst of anger following the brutal assault on Nur. Mojakker Islam Suman, chief of the Haripur unit, admitted: “Our activists vandalised the office in frustration after the attack on Nur.”
Protests have continued across university campuses in Dhaka, Rajshahi and Chattogram, with demonstrations spreading to other districts. The violence underscores growing tensions ahead of the February 2026 general election, as political rivalries threaten to spiral further out of control.
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Two separate arson attacks were reported at the Kakrail office. The first occurred around 6:30pm, when Gono Odhikar activists marched to the site, vandalised the exterior, and set part of the ground floor on fire. About an hour later, another group returned from the opposite alley and reignited the blaze. Police, present in large numbers, used water cannons to contain the flames and eventually dispersed the attackers.
Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner of Police Masud Alam told bdnews24.com: “They [Gono Odhikar Parishad] had a programme, and after it ended, they set the fire. We then cleared them out and extinguished the flames. The situation is now calm.”
Despite the heavy police presence, the violence unfolded before order was restored. No Jatiya Party leaders or members were seen at the scene, but tension lingered in the area late into the night.
According to witnesses, Gono Odhikar activists began gathering at their Bijoynagar office from 4pm. Following a rally, they marched through Paltan, the National Press Club, Matsyabhaban, and Kakrail. Blocked by police, the activists briefly retreated before returning to launch the attacks.
Jatiya Party Secretary General Shameem Haider Patwary held Gono Odhikar Parishad directly responsible, calling the assault “absolutely unacceptable” and claiming it was retaliation for Friday’s clashes near the Jatiya Party office in Bijoynagar.
The previous night’s violence saw police baton-charge a Gono Odhikar torch procession, during which Nurul Haque Nur was seriously injured. He remains in Dhaka Medical College Hospital. The incident has sparked widespread protests, with road blockades and vandalism reported across several districts, including Thakurgaon, Tangail, Mymensingh and Rajshahi.
In Thakurgaon’s Haripur Upazila, Gono Odhikar activists stormed the Jatiya Party office around 1pm on Saturday, vandalising dozens of chairs, tables, ceiling fans and cupboards before setting some furniture alight. Police and firefighters later brought the situation under control. “Legal action will be taken if a formal complaint is filed,” said Haripur Police chief Zakaria Mondal.
In Tangail, activists attacked the Jatiya Party office near Nirala Mor, breaking furniture and damaging the office sign. The Dhaka–Tangail–Jamuna Bridge highway was also blocked. Local Jatiya Party leaders condemned the attacks, with district general secretary Mohammad Mojammel Haque alleging they took place in front of law enforcers.
Mymensingh also witnessed violence late Friday, when a procession led by Gono Odhikar leaders vandalised the Jatiya Party office in Ishwarganj. Police confirmed property damage but said no formal complaint had yet been lodged.
Meanwhile, in Rajshahi, Gono Odhikar activists set fire to the Jatiya Party office at Ghan Para after a late-night rally from Saheb Bazar Zero Point. Witnesses reported that the blaze caused significant damage before being extinguished.
Across the country, Gono Odhikar leaders insisted the attacks were an outburst of anger following the brutal assault on Nur. Mojakker Islam Suman, chief of the Haripur unit, admitted: “Our activists vandalised the office in frustration after the attack on Nur.”
Protests have continued across university campuses in Dhaka, Rajshahi and Chattogram, with demonstrations spreading to other districts. The violence underscores growing tensions ahead of the February 2026 general election, as political rivalries threaten to spiral further out of control.
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