Police swoop on AL men overnight

Police arrested at least 37 Awami League (AL) leaders and activists in a crackdown last night ahead of the main opposition party's planned no-confidence human shield today in an apparent attempt to foil the programme.

The crackdown came amid fears of violence in Dhaka where the ruling alliance leader BNP is preparing to face today's AL agitation in street showdowns.

Police stations admitted the arrests between 11:00pm yesterday and 1:00am today, but said they were held in criminal cases and with arrest warrants.

Political sources alleged the police swoop from mid-night was bent on foiling the AL agitation in which the activists of the party would line up the roads from Pallabi to Bahadur Shah Park to express a token 'no-confidence' in the BNP-Jamaat-led alliance rule.

Tejgaon police arrested 15 people, including AL leader Shamsul Haq and Sramik League leader Shafiullah Shafi in Karwan Bazar, Farmgate and Tejgaon.

Kotwali police arrested 12 people and Pallabi police aided by Bangladesh Rifles and Armed Police Battalion arrested five people.

Dhanmondi police admitted arresting five people and Mohammadpur police said 20 BDR men and 20 reserve policemen were raiding different places to arrest 'trouble-makers'.

Motijheel police said they were preparing to carry out a special drive manned by mobile police teams.

Khan Sayeed Hasan, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metro-politan Police's south zone, last night said: "We are not conducting a special drive. Raids are going on as part of law and order improvement efforts."

VIOLENCE FEARED

Dhaka City BNP and its front organisations are set to stage rallies and processions in every ward of the capital today in protest against what they said were destructive activities and mindless hartals of the main opposition party.

The programme was virtually announced to counter the AL protest, unveiled by the party's central working committee on March 24.

According to the human shield plan, AL activists would line up 22 km roads from Pallabi to Bahadur Shah Park, including Mirpur 10 and 1 roundabouts, Darussalam, Shamoli, Asad Gate, Dhanmondi 27, Russell Square, Science Laboratory Crossing, Elephant Road, Bata Intersection, Katabon, Eastern Plaza, Bangla Motor, Moghbazar Intersection, Mouchak Market, Kakrail Intersection, Bijoynagar Road, Paltan Intersection, Noor Hossain Square, Nayabazar and English Road.

AL sources said their activists would man the human shield while party presidium and central working committee members, lawmakers and key leaders of different front organisations would gather on 23 key points.