BNP leader Habib held after taking part in talk show

Detectives in plain clothes picked up BNP leader Habibur Rahman Habib in the wee hours of yesterday when he was leaving a private TV station in the capital's Tejgaon after appearing on a live talk show.

Around 15 people, all young, stopped Habib in front of the gate of Channel 24 office after midnight, said rights activist Nur Khan, who also participated in the show, Muktobak, along with Abul Kalam Azad, former press secretary to the prime minister.

During the 50-munite programme, they discussed the recent political state of the country, including the ongoing blockade by the BNP-led alliance, said Nur.

The rights activist added that on some occasions, Habib, BNP assistant information and research secretary, was critical on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent comments on his party chief Khaleda Zia.

“The show ended five minutes before midnight. I went to the wash room while Habib and Azad walked towards the gate. When I reached outside, I saw around 15 unknown people there. All of a sudden Habib shouted, saying that the people are picking him up,” Nur added.

He then walked towards the people and wanted to know their identities. One of them initially introduced himself as “a government man” but subsequently said they were from the Detective Branch (DB) of police.

Nur asked them whether they were arresting Habib. One of them replied in the negative and said they were only picking him up for quizzing. A microbus and two to three police vans were parked nearby.

Requesting anonymity, a DB officer, who was among the 15 people, told The Daily Star that Habib was arrested.

Later, a Dhaka court placed the BNP leader on a four-day remand and five other BNP and Jatiya Party (Zafar) leaders on two-day remand each in a case filed under the explosive substances act with Gulshan Police Station on Monday.

The five others are: Mohammad Shahjahan, BNP joint secretary general and former lawmaker; Belal Ahmed, BNP executive committee member; Shamimur Rahman Shamim, BNP assistant office secretary; Monirul Haque, BNP central committee member; and Ahsan Habib Lincoln, presidium member of JP (Zafar).

They were picked up by law enforcers at different times from different places, according to the remand prayer produced before the court.

They have been charged with instigating a crude bomb blast in Gulshan on Saturday night.