Police pick up BNP men from peaceful programmes
Law enforcers on Monday obstructed BNP leaders and activists in several districts from observing their peaceful human chain programmes demanding party chairperson Khaleda Zia's release from jail.
Former prime minister Khaleda Zia has been in jail since a special court convicted her in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on 8 February.
According to the principal opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), law enforcers detained around 200 leaders and activists from the party's human chain programmes across the country, including the capital.
Of them, 53 were later shown arrested in various cases.
In Gazipur, police suddenly started firing tear gas at the BNP leaders and activists and chased them with batons when they gathered at the zila sadar to form a human chain.
Former Gazipur unit president of BNP's women wing Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal, Anwara Begum and nine others were injured in the police action.
BNP claimed that police opened fire, too, on its leaders and activists in Gazipur.
A total of eight leaders and activists including BNP's late leader ASM Hannan Shah's son Riazul Hannan were detained from the Gazipur human chain.
Police also foiled BNP's programmes both in Faridpur and Jashore.
BNP observed human chain programmes throughout the country from 11:00am to 12:00pm demanding party chairperson's medical treatment and release from jail.
In the capital, BNP leaders and activists started gathering in front of the National Press Club around 9:00pm. But, 15 minutes before the end of the programme, plainclothes started picking up BNP leaders and activists from the peaceful human chain programme, alleged BNP leaders.
According to witnesses, policemen silently snatched BNP leaders and activists one after the another. Many in the human chain did not even realise that the police were catching them.
Many fled the human chain when they realised BNP men were being picked up, they said, adding that even the journalists could not escape police action when they tried to take photos of the action.
On Monday afternoon, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi called a press conference in the Naya Paltan central office and alleged that police arrested over 200 leaders and activists on their way to and from their peaceful human-chain programmes in front of the National Press Club in the capital, and in different districts, including Gazipur, Bagerhat and Meherpur.
Rizvi in the conference mentioned a list of 136 BNP, Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leaders and activists, who were detained on Monday from their human chain programmes.
Rizvi alleged that though the government gave BNP permission to stage its human chains, police detained its leaders and workers without any provocation as its programmes were peaceful everywhere, including the capital.
BNP leaders and activists formed human chains in the capital and different districts and cities on Monday demanding their chairperson Khaleda Zia's treatment and release from jail.