Police arrested Huge BNP lader and activists

Police arrested huge number of BNP leader and activists in the capital and other parts of the country ahead of today’s grand rally of the BNP-led combine.

In the wake of crackdown on the opposition, many leaders and activists of BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami are shying away from joining the rally.

According to the police record, over 400 persons had been picked up from different parts of the capital during the last 24 hours till Sunday morning.

BNP Acting Secretary-General Mirza Fakrul Islam Alamgir, however, put the number at 5000 at a press briefing on Sunday.

Many of the Dhaka-bound opposition leaders and activists were reportedly arrested by law enforcers on their way to the capital to join the ‘Dhaka Cholo’ programme.

Each and every Dhaka-bound motor vehicle, including bus, was obstructed and searched by law enforcers on Sunday. Passengers were too frisked.

Shafiqul Islam, a Dhaka-bound bus passenger from Gazipur, alleged on Sunday that police stopped their bus and carried out an extensive search.

While searching law enforcers pulled and dragged people out of the bus suspecting them to be activists of the opposition, he said.

Wahidur Rahman, a Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader of Faridpur said, police arrested their three local Jubo Dal leaders from Kartikpur under Dohar thana on Sunday morning.

Jubo Dal men Anwar Hossain, Ashu and Reza were arrested as soon as they got down from trawler from CNB ghat in Faridpur, the JCD leader alleged.

Later they were taken to local police station. They were coming to Dhaka to attend the grand rally, he said.

Even journalists were frisked and police misbehaved with them at Bhoirob in Kishorganj on Saturday night.

The police team led by Officer-in-charge of Bhoirob Police Station Shahjahan Kabir misbehaved with a group of journalists as they were returning to Dhaka after attending a reception programme at Narshingdhi, one of the journalists Rafi alleged.

Solaiman, brother-in-law of Zahirul Azim, a former education and cultural secretary of JCD of Nayabari Union under Dohar thana, alleged that law enforcers on Saturday night stormed into his Jatrabari residence in the capital and searched for JCD leaders.

Law enforcers including police, Rab and detective Branch (DB) of police, set up check posts at different strategic points in the capital to search motor vehicles entering the city.

As the police hunt continued city dwellers have become panic-stricken and many of them have already slipped back into their houses.

The city streets on Sunday wore a deserted look. Most of the city dwellers didn’t not come out of their houses without any urgent need.

Apart from the main roads and thoroughfares, police also set up check posts in all nooks and corners of lanes and by-lanes in the capital.

CNG-run auto-rickshaws, motorbikes, private cars and slow-moving rickshaws and even pedestrians too came under security check.

Police left no stone unturned; they went to messes, residential hotels and houses to hunt down the opposition activists.

A senior official of Detective Branch of police said: “Vigilance has been intensified at different strategic points in the capital and its adjoining areas including residential hotels, bus terminals, launch terminals, and railway stations.”

A huge number of plain-clothed policemen are seen hanging around the strategic points in the capital and its outskirts.

Detective police are also keeping close watch on every entry and exit points in the capital including three inter-district bus terminals—Gabtali, Mohakhali, Sayeedbad, Kamalapur Railway Station and Sadarghat Launch Terminal.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of DMP Masudur Rahman said: “We are conducting the search operation as per our regular work.”

Police are also taking some extra-measures to avoid any untoward incident ahead of the BNP March 12 rally, he said.

Home Minister Shahara Khatun while briefing journalists on Sunday said: “All-out measures have been taken to save life and property.”

None will be allowed to create anarchy in the name of grand rally. Law enforcers have been strictly instructed to be alert and foil any attempt of subversive activities by banned militant outfits like JMB and Huji.

On January 9, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia addressing a public rally in Chittagong, announced the grand rally “Cholo cholo, Dhaka Cholo’ to drum up support for the restoration of the caretaker government system.

Posted in: BNP