Police conduct raids at the residences of BNP senior leaders

Police have conducted raids at the residences of BNP central leaders, and detained the party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir from his Gulshan residence on Sunday morning.

BNP said the law enforcement agencies have conducted raids at the residences of the party standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, joint secretary general Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal and international affairs committee member Ishraque Hossain.

Earlier, the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police picked up Mirza Fakhrul from his residence around 9:00am and took him to the DB office on Minto Road.

Police also searched the residence of Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury in the capital’s Banani, but he was not at home during the raids.

Israfil Khasru Chowdhury, son of Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, told journalists that DB members also came to their house on Sunday morning and searched each room of the house. They also took the passport of his father and the mobile phone of his mother, but they returned those after 40-50 minutes.

DB members wanted to know the whereabouts of his father saying they are conducting searches as part of their duties, Israfil Khasru Chowdhury added.

BNP chairperson’s press wing member Shamsuddin Didar told Prothom Alo DB members raided the residences of Ishraque Hossain in Gulshan and searched the house. Since they could not find Ishraque Hossain, the DB picked up Ishfaq Hossain, the younger brother of Ishraque Hossain, and their driver Rajib.

Shamsuddin Didar further said police also cordoned off the residence of another BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas in the capital’s Shajahanpur on Sunday noon.

Prior to this, members of law enforcement agencies had taken position in front of the house since early Sunday and they left the area in the morning, he added.

BNP said plainclothes police members searched the residence of Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal in the capital’s Lalmatia, but he was at the residence during the raid.

Asked about police raids and searches at the residences of the BNP leaders, DMP deputy commissioner (media and public relations) Md Faruk Hossain told Prothom Alo that he had no knowledge about it, and the DB could explain the matter.

None from the DB could be reached for comment.