Police have set up checkposts at different spots in the Narayanganj section of Dhaka-Chattogram highway and have been carrying out searches in cars and other vehicles before a rally of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
As a result, fewer vehicles have been plying on the road to avoid hassles.
BNP is set to hold the rally in front of the party’s headquarters at Naya Paltan in Dhaka on Wednesday. Narayanganj is a neighbouring district of Dhaka.
Superintendent of police in Narayanganj, Golam Mostafa Russel, claimed the traffic is normal on the highway. He told Prothom Alo that the searches are being carried out as part of the police’s routine tasks.
Asked, the SP said no one has been arrested. Some suspects have been detained.
Speaking about overall environment, Narayanganj district BNP president Muhammad Gias Uddin said police raided the homes of their leaders and activists in Narayanganj on Tuesday night and detained 10.
District BNP general secretary Golam Faruq, however, claimed that at least 30 of the party leaders and activists were detained as of 10:00 am Wednesday.
He also alleged that police have been conducting the drives to instill fear among the party leaders and activists before the rally in Dhaka. They set up checkposts on highways and searching at public transports and forced many partymen to return home.
A visit to Mouchak area in Siddhirganj in Narayanganj on Wednesday morning showed that police were carrying out searches at different vehicles on Dhaka-Chattogram highway. They were also quizzing the passengers. Fewer numbers of vehicles were plying on the road.
Assistant to the driver of Tisha Paribahan, a public transport company, Md Rubel said their bus was searched at three spots from Noakhali to Signboard Mor in Siddhirganj.
Siddhirganj police station sub-inspector Humayun Kabir, who is in charge of police checkpost in Mouchak area, told Prothom Alo that they have been carrying out searches at suspected vehicles since early morning so that none can get involved in illegal activities, including transporting drugs and arms. But they have made no arrests.
Narayanganj district BNP president Muhammad Gias Uddin said they rented bus to go to their party’s rally in Dhaka and paid the rent in advance. But the bus owners have been declining to go to Dhaka as administration and ruling party leaders put pressure on them. The transport owners have also been returning the money.
Denying the allegation, Narayanganj district Bus and Minibus Owners’ Association general secretary Raushan Ali told Prothom Alo that neither the BNP men approached them for bus nor did they take any money in advance. All of their buses were plying on the road, he added.
Speaking about the allegations, Narayanganj district police’s spokesperson and additional police super Chailau Marma said police remain active over the BNP rally so that no subversive activity could be carried out in Narayanganj and to protect the lives and properties of people.
He further said arrests have been made of the people who were wanted in cases filed before. But he could not say the number of people arrested.