BNP men ‘detained, harassed’ on way to Dhaka rally

The BNP has claimed that their leaders were harassed and even detained at various checkposts when entering the capital to attend the rally at Naya Paltan.

Several BNP activists told The Business Standard that at least 50 people were detained by police from the checkpost at the Aminbazar entrance of Dhaka at various times from early morning to 12pm.

Eyewitnesses said they saw several people detained in front of the Aminbazar 20-bed hospital and taken into the police prison van heading towards the capital.

However, law enforcers denied the allegations.

Anamul Huq, the elder brother of Md Azadul, a BNP activist from Savar, claimed that police detained his brother and sent him to Savar Model Police Station.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Savar Model Police Station Deepak Chandra Saha said, "We are in Aminbazar because of the ongoing traffic week. We did not detain anyone and are not stopping anyone's car due to the BNP rally."

Shahidul Islam, additional police super (Savar circle), earlier told The Business Standard this checkpost "was part of their regular activities."

Meanwhile, Khorshed Alam, the former senior joint convener of Dhaka district BNP claimed the police stopped at least 40 Toyota Hiace of his activists while they were going to attend the party rally in the capital in the morning.

He claimed that police surrounded his house since 8 am, where he is staying with at least 200 other BNP activists.

Khorshed also said that at least 30 BNP activists have been detained from the Aminbazar checkpost and 15 others, including Savar thana BNP General Secretary Golam Mustafa been detained from Birulia bridge when they were trying to reach Naya Paltan using an alternate route.

All of the detained have been taken to Savar police station, he said.

Meanwhile, the police check post set up at the Aminbazar entrance of Dhaka created a long tailback from Boliarpur to the Aminbazar area of the Dhaka-Aricha highway.

Thousands of passengers travelling to Dhaka and many office-bound commuters were seen trying to reach their destinations on foot.

Savar resident Rasel said he got onto a bus to Mirpur at 9 am in the morning and it soon became a part of the massive tailback. With no other options available, he reached Aminbazar on foot after waiting for an hour on the bus.

A regular bus driver of the route said, "I often see checkposts at Aminbazar. But it is taking a lot longer today. I am stuck for an hour and a half and I don't know when I will reach Aminbazar. Many passengers got off and left towards Aminbazar on foot."

Police were seen searching passengers and pedestrians at the checkpost.

Meanwhile, leaders of BNP in Cumilla alleged that they are facing "hidden obstacles" while going to the main programme in Dhaka, especially when booking buses for the journey.

Cumilla South District BNP convener Haji Amin-ur-Rashid Yashin said bus drivers were being threatened to not undertake the trip to Dhaka.

He said no buses were agreeing to take the trip and those hired earlier also refused.

Jubo Dal worker Ariful Islam, who traveled to Dhaka from Cumilla, said, "We hired 10 cars to go to the programme in Dhaka. But for some unknown reason, the bus drivers expressed their inability to go to Dhaka."

BNP activists attacked in Tangail

BNP leaders claimed that Awami League and Chhatra League attacked a microbus carrying BNP leaders and activists in Tangail.

The microbus was on its way to attend the BNP's mass gathering in Dhaka.

At least 13 BNP and Chhatra Dal leaders and activists were injured in this incident.

Moreover, police arrested 16 BNP leaders of Nagarpur upazila from Dhamrai, the party said.