Police deployed at Rajshahi BNP office, entrance under lock and key

Police have been deployed in front of the BNP office in Rajshahi, centering on a road march scheduled at 11:00 am on Tuesday.

The gate of the office located at the city’s Malopara area has been kept under lock and key since Tuesday morning.

Police, who have stopped the movements of rickshaws at Saheb Bazar area of the city, claimed they didn’t lock up the entrance. They have cordoned off the office to avert anarchy marking the event.

Though a procession was supposed to be brought out at 11:00 am, no leaders and activists of BNP were seen to gather at the designated place, in the city's Bhuban Mohan Park, for the rally. The party sources said they will hold the march at any other place.   

The scheduled rally, organised by the Rajshahi city BNP, was supposed to be started from the city's Bhuban Mohan Park and ended at Rail Gate area after marching Sonadighir Mor and Saheb Bazar area.

But the police blocked the movement of rickshaws before 11:00am from Saccha Tower Mor to Sonadighir Mor and cordoned off the office.  

There is only an office assistant, Kebol Das, in the BNP office. He said police locked up the office around 11:00am.   

Boalia police station officer-in-charge Suhrawardy Hossain said police didn’t lock their office.

BNP itself locked it up, the police official said adding "we have cordoned off the office to avert any anarchy marking the rally."

BNP chairperson’s advisor Mizanur Rahman Minu said their designated venue for the rally has been encircled by the police. That’s why they didn't go there. They are trying to hold the rally at any other place in the city.