BNP men not allowed to take to the streets
Obstructed by law enforcers, the BNP was unable to stage its planned demonstrations in most of the districts yesterday.
In many districts, law enforcers in riot gear took position in front of the BNP offices since early morning and prevented the opposition party men from entering their offices or even gather anywhere near those.
But no violence or police action was reported.
The countrywide street programme was announced on Sunday, in protest against police refusal to allow the BNP to hold a rally in Dhaka and also the police action on the party men in various districts on January 5.
BNP leaders in the capital and elsewhere alleged that their leaders and workers across the country were barred from taking to the streets, but police denied the claim in most cases.
“Law enforcers started launching attacks on the party's demonstration programmes across the country since morning. Police raided homes of our leaders and activists and arrested many leaders,” Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, senior joint secretary general of the BNP, told journalists at the party headquarters at Nayapaltan.
On December 28, the BNP sought permission from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police to hold a rally on January 7 at Suhrawardy Udyan. The rally was to mark the third anniversary of the January 5, 2014, election, which the BNP and some other parties boycotted.
The BNP observes the day as “democracy killing day”.
POLICE OBSTRUCTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
In Barisal, police foiled the rally organised by the district BNP and its front organisations, said Ebaydul Hoque Chan, president of the district (north) BNP.
After a meeting at the party office, leaders and workers tried to bring out a procession but police snatched their banners and stopped them from coming out of the office, he alleged.
Contacted, Barisal Metropolitan Police Commissioner (south) Golam Rouf Khan said, “We requested them not to bring out any procession. But as they [the BNP men] tried to block the city road ignoring the call, police foiled it.”
Pirojpur BNP alleged they could not hold any programme as they were not allowed to take to the streets. Police also locked their office.
Some BNP men were inside the party office all day. Around 5:00pm some policemen asked them to come out, saying they had orders to lock it up, alleged Monirul Islam, co-convener of the district Jubo Dal, a pro-BNP youth body.
Masumur Rahman Biswas, officer-in-charge of Pirojpur Sadar Police Station, denied the allegation.
In Rajshahi, a large contingent of law enforcers took position before the BNP office at Malopara and they did not allow the BNP and its front organisations to hold any programme.
Tofazzal Hossain Topu, president of the district BNP, alleged the police commissioner asked him not to bring out any procession.
Party men then tried to bring out processions in Kapasia and Kharkhari areas, but police stopped them, he said.
Iftekhar Alam, an assistant commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, said they created no obstruction and that they were simply maintaining law and order in front of the BNP office.
In Kurigram, BNP activists went to the party office in the morning. But policemen took position before the office and stopped the party men from coming out for a procession, said Shohel Hosnine Kaykobad, joint secretary of the district BNP.
Rawshan Kabir, inspector (investigation) of Kurigram Sadar Police Station, said, “We took position on the BNP office premises, but we did not create any obstacle to their programmes.”
In Mymensingh, as soon as the opposition men brought out a procession from their office at Natun Bazar, police forced them inside, alleged Abu Wahab Akanda, secretary of the district (south) BNP.
“Later, we had to hold a rally inside the party office,” he said.
Kotwali Police Station OC Kamrul Islam claimed they did no such thing.
In Khulna, police cordoned off the BNP office at Thanar Mor area in the early morning. They did not allow the opposition men to gather there, party leaders alleged.
Later in the day, when the BNP men tried to bring out a procession from Royal Square, police foiled that too, they said.
In Chittagong, leaders and workers held a rally inside the party office at Nasimon Bhaban, but they were not allowed to bring out any procession.
Abu Sufian, vice president of the city BNP, said they held the rally at the party office to avert police harassment.
Jasim Uddin, OC of Kotwali Police Station, admitted they asked the BNP men not to bring out any procession.
In Sylhet, the district BNP sought permission from police for holding a rally but was denied.
Police took position around the proposed venue in the early morning and locked the entrance to the ground. BNP leaders and activists tried to gather there but police stopped them, party leaders alleged.
In Patuakhali, police picked up two BNP leaders from their homes.
[Our correspondents from Barisal, Pirojpur, Rajshahi, Kurigram, Mymensingh, Khulna, Chittagong, Sylhet and Patuakhali contributed to the report.]
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