Dhaka-1 BNP candidate too detained

Opposition BNP's candidate for Dhaka-1 constituency Khondokar Abu Ashfaq was detained on Wednesday while campaigning for upcoming parliamentary elections.

With this, at least four candidates of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have been confined by the law enforcement.

BNP leaders and activists said the candidate was campaigning in Bashtala intersection, Karam Ali intersection and Jaypara intersection areas of Dohar upazila, which along with Nawabhanj comprises Dhaka-1 constituency.

A team of Dohar police station picked up him around 5:00pm.

Officer in charge of Dohar police Md Sazzad Hossain confirmed the detention of Ashfaq and said he was detained ‘on security ground’.

“He was taken to the police station as there was a possibility of clash between the BNP and Awami League activists,” said Sazzad.

Asked if he would be released soon, the OC could not say anything.

General secretary of Nawabganj upazila BNP Khondokar Kalam insisted that the police detained Ashfaq from a peaceful campaign rally

Dohar upazila BNP’s president Md Shahabuddin alleged that the ruling AL activists are carrying out campaign in full swing while the BNP men are not given any space to campaign.

Detectives earlier in the day detained BNP organising secretary and the party’s aspirant from Natore-2 Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu from his Gulshan residence in Dhaka in connection with a case.

On 29 November, BNP senior joint secretary general and the party's candidate for Narsingdi-1 constituency, Khairul Kabir Khokon, was arrested in connection with two cases.

BNP Chattogram city president Shahadat Hossain who is contesting the elections from Chittagong-9 was detained on 7 November and is now in jail.