At least 1,356 people including BNP men arrested in last 24 hrs
05 December 2022
Staff Reporter :
Lives and freedom of movement of the BNP workers and leaders have become difficult due to the combing operation conducted by the law enforces across the country since December 1.
BNP men who are under charges of various cases are on the run to avoid the police arrest ahead of the Dhaka rally on December 10 as law enforcers are carrying out nationwide special drive.
The operation has targeted the residences of BNP men, hotels, motels, messes, even party offices across the country to foil the BNP December 10 rally in Dhaka, BNP leaders alleged.
When ruling Awami League has been holding rallies in different cities including Dhaka and Chattogram with the support of the law enforces, BNP has been facing fierce hurdles like transport strikes, police harassment and ruling party's repressions.
As part of the special drive, police have already arrested 1,356 people including BNP men across the country when BNP was preparing to hold the grand congregation in the capital on December 10.
Police, however, said that the drive was not meant for arresting BNP men, rather it was a regular routine drive to nab people involved in various crimes-related cases.
In Dhaka, a total of 472 persons were arrested from different parts of the capital in the last 24 hours.
Jubo Dal President Sultan Salauddin Tuku was also arrested from Savar, outskirts of the capital, when he was returning from Rajshahi after attending the rally on December 3.
In order to nab the listed people, police have so far conducted 2,321 operations across the country in a bid to arrest culprits on the basis of specific allegations.
As part of the mass rally in the capital, some of the BNP leaders and workers including Ishraq Hossain have begun mass campaign.
When Ishraq was busy with mass campaign in Old Dhaka on Sunday, he came under attacks allegedly by the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League.
The miscreants vandalised his motorcade near The Jagannath Universty area in the afternoon, leaving at least 20 BNP activists injured. Ishraque alleged that the BCL activists from Jagannath University carried out the attack at noon, leaving 20 BNP leaders and activists.
The BNP leader said the BCL men first started throwing brick chips when he along with BNP leaders and activists were getting into his vehicle after completing the leaflet distribution programme.
"Later, they attacked us with rods and hockey sticks. They also vandalised my vehicle," he said.
Ishraque, the son of late BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka, said four injured BNP activists were admitted to a hospital.
Contacted, JnU unit BCL president Ibrahim Farazi said they chased Ishraque and his followers as the BNP leader was making provocative remarks while distributing the leaflets.
He claimed that some BCL activists were injured as the 'cadres' of Ishraque attacked them.
Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir urged the government and the police administration to stop such mass arrests ahead of their concluding grand rally in Dhaka in the name of hunting criminals to put behind bars.
BNP alleged that at least 1031 people, including BNP leaders and activists were arrested and several hundred cases have been filed from November 30 to December 4 ahead of its December 10 mass rally.
In the ongoing special operation since December 1, the police arrested at least 472 accused in the capital Dhaka alone.
They were arrested on the basis of specific allegations, claimed Farooq Hossain, Deputy Police Commissioner (DC) of DMP's Media and Public Relations Department.
Earlier, the police headquarters directed special operations across the country on the occasion of Victory Day, Christmas and Thirty First Night and snatching away two militants from the court premises in the capital.
The police order reads that the special drive will be conducted in residential hotels, hostels, messes, different organisations, community centres where miscreants may hide.
The operation will also keep high surveillance to arrest the drug dealers, drug addicts, illegal arms carrier, absconding accused, militants, terrorists and arms recovery.
