BNP stages countrywide demo protesting police action at Naya Paltan

Police in action in Naya Paltan, Dhaka, on 7 December 2022 where the headquarters of opposition BNP is locatedSuvra Kanti Das

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will stage demonstrations in all cities and district towns on Thursday to protest “barbaric” police action and mass arrests of the party’s leaders and activists in front of its Naya Paltan central office on Wednesday.

Party standing committee took the decision at an emergency meeting at night, said a press release.

Following the police action at Naya Paltan, the BNP standing committee, the highest policy-making body of the party, sat in the meeting to work out its next course of action.

The BNP policymakers strongly condemned and protested the “unnecessary, unwarranted and cowardly” police attack and firing that left a Swechchasebak Dal leader dead and injured many others centring the party’s 10 December rally in Dhaka.

They also protested the arrest of a large number of party leaders and activists.

The meeting demanded the unconditional release of the arrested party leaders and activists and called upon the police administration to stop such attacks, arrests, harassment and repressive and suppressive acts.

Meanwhile, the BNP postponed the special press conference that was scheduled to be held at a city hotel on Thursday at 3:30 pm.

BNP medical cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan said the fresh date and time of the press conference will be announced later.