416 BNP activists, including Khairul Kabir, arrested ahead of grand rally

The police have arrested a total of 416 BNP activists and leaders from drives conducted in 19 districts, including Dhaka, ahead of the party’s grand rally to be held on 28 October. Of them, some 129 BNP activists, including the party’s central joint secretary general Khairul Kabir Khokon, were arrested from Dhaka and 287 were arrested from 18 districts.

Meanwhile, the police started searches at different entry points of Dhaka from 4:00 pm Thursday. According to the sources in the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, they started detaining BNP leaders and activists from Wednesday. They conducted separate drives in the areas under 51 police stations of the DMP and 129 leaders and activists of BNP in 24 hours from Wednesday 8:00 pm to Thursday 8:00 pm.

Later, they were produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court of Dhaka. After hearing, the court sent them to prison.

According to sources in the police and court, these 129 BNP activists were shown arrested in 42 old cases filed in November and December of the year 2022 and August this year. Of the arrestees, 19 were arrested from areas under Pallabi thana, nine from Mirpur, seven from Wari, six from Hazaribagh and six were arrested from areas under Jatrabari thana.

Notable among the arrestees are Ramna thana Swechchhasebak Dal joint secretary Lablu Mia and Chawkbazar ward-28 BNP’s general secretary Maniur Rahman.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, BNP leaders’ lawyers Iltutmish Saudagar and Nihar Hossain said mainly the police are arresting the BNP leaders and activists of different city units ahead of the party’s grand rally on 28 October. The police have made a list of leaders who can play a vital role in making the grand rally a success. Now they (the police) are arresting them one by one following the list. The BNP leaders are being produced before the court after being shown arrested in various old cases.

BNP joint secretary general Khairul Kabir was arrested from his brother’s house in the capital’s Sipahi Bagh area at around 2:00 am Thursday. The members of the Detective Branch (DB) of the police arrested him.

Speaking regarding this, deputy commissioner of DB police in Motijheel division Rajib Al Masud told Prothom Alo that there is an arrest warrant against Khairul Kabir in a case filed in Narsingdi. He is also accused in a case in Dhaka.

BNP announced the grand rally on 18 October. Since then, police have arrested some 526 BNP leaders and activists so far in Dhaka.

However, DMP spokesperson Faruque Hossain claimed that they are not arresting the BNP leaders and activists ahead of their grand rally. The police are arresting only those who have arrest warrants against them.

The police setup outposts at different entrances of Dhaka, including Gabtoli, Sultana Kamal bridge on Dhaka-Chattogram highway, Signboard in Narayanganj, Postogola bridge in Shyampur and on Babubazar bridge, and searched vehicles and suspected persons. The police conducted searches in these places the day before as well. However, the officers-in-charge of concerned police stations claimed that they are conducting searches to prevent arms carriers and drug peddlers from entering Dhaka.

Asked about this, DMP commissioner Habibur Rahman told Prothom Alo, “The searches are being conducted as part of our regular activities. No one is being harassed.”

Meanwhile, the RAB-10 has intensified searches and patrol at the entry points of Dhaka and in different areas under their jurisdiction, including Srinagar of Munshiganj and Bhanga of Faridpur. Besides, police conducted searches in vehicles on the Dhaka-Aricha highways.

The police arrested some 11 leaders and activists of the BNP and its associate bodies in separate drives conducted in areas under seven police stations of the district.

The police conducted search drives at homes of the BNP activists all night. City BNP convener Sakhawat Hossain told Prothom Alo that the BNP activists are on alert due to the recent drives conducted by the police. Many of them have already reached Dhaka.

The BNP leaders and activists held a meeting in the house of central leader Salauddin Sarker in the College Gate area of Tongi in Gazipur. Police raided the house and arrested 40 leaders and activists from there. Speaking to Prothom Alo Gazipur Metropolitan Police’s deputy commissioner Mahbub Uz Zaman said they were arrested due to the potential risk of anarchy in the area.

Besides, some 27 were arrested in Pabna, six in Chattogram, six in Rajbari, 13 in Kushtia, 15 activists of BNP and Jamaat in Dinajpur, 11 in Rajshahi, 16 in Thakurgaon, eight in Naogaon, seven in Tangail, 15 in Khulna, eight in Rangpur, 8 BNP-Jamaat activists in Panchagarh, 23 in Gaibandha, 48 in Jashore and four in Feni. Besides, 21 leaders and activists of Jamaat and BNP were arrested from the jail gate right after they were released on bail.