Tensions rose in East London on Monday over a scheduled meeting of National Citizens Party (NCP) leader and MP Hasnat Abdullah. Hasnat Abdullah was attending the meeting as the chief guest at the Maeda Grill restaurant, adjacent to the East London Mosque, organised by the NCP UK Alliance.
Leaders, activists and supporters of the UK Awami League (banned in Bangladesh) protested against the meeting. The presence of supporters of both parties in front of the restaurant increased from the afternoon. At one stage, eggs were thrown at NCP supporters and activists. More than a hundred policemen were deployed to bring the situation under control.
In the circumstances that arose, Hasnat Abdullah entered the venue under tight police security about three hours after the scheduled time and delivered a speech. After the event, she left the venue under police security.
Police have detained at least three people in the wake of protests and unrest in front of the Maeda Grill restaurant. Among those detained is Afsar Khan Sadeq, the joint general secretary of the London Metropolitan Awami League. He was seen being handcuffed and taken into a police van. However, there was no official statement from the police on what action has been taken against the detainees.
A large number of police personnel were deployed to control the situation amid the tension. On Monday, in front of the Maeda Grill restaurant adjacent to the East London MosquePhoto: Courtesy of Tarek Chowdhury, President of London Bangla Press Club
Earlier, around 4:30 pm, a separate tense situation arose around Hasnat Abdullah in Elem Park in the Romford area of East London. Video footage from the scene shows Hasnat Abdullah and his associates walking in the park when some people followed them and made various comments. At one stage, Hasnat Abdullah took refuge in a nearby restaurant. At that time, eggs were thrown at some of those with him.
The video shows NCP central joint convener Ehteshamul Haque getting egged on his body. Later, Shah Shamim, the office secretary of the UK Awami League, started arguing with him and at one stage, a scuffle broke out. The people present tried to bring the situation under control. Following this incident, another round of tension arose between Shah Shamim and an NCP supporter.
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The NCP UK Alliance has claimed in a statement that some Awami League workers attempted to create chaos and incite violence during the visit of Hasnat Abdullah and central joint convener Ehteshamul Haque to the Elem Park area on Monday afternoon. Terming the incident as ‘cowardly’, the organisation said that the Awami League has yet to emerge from the politics of intimidation and intolerance.
Regarding the allegations, Joint General Secretary of the UK Awami League and former Mayor of Sylhet City Corporation Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury said that the UK Awami League did not give any program centered on Hasnat Abdullah’s London visit. However, students and youth in the UK may have spontaneously protested against the demolition of house number 32 in Dhanmondi.
