11 Jamaat men held while trying to stage protest
Police yesterday arrested 11 Jamaat leaders and activists while they were preparing to bring out a procession near deputy commissioner's (DC) office in the city.
Around 30 Jamaat activists led by its city unit Ameer Shamsul Islam MP gathered in front of the Zila Parishad Market near the Chittagong court building which houses the DC office to submit a memorandum at noon.
Earlier they held a meeting at their Dewanbazar party office.
In the memorandum to the Prime Minister through the DC, the party demanded halting of alleged repression on opposition leaders across the country, release of detained top Jamaat leaders and checking price spiral of essential commodities.
As the Jamaat men tried to bring out a procession, the on-duty police stopped them since they had no prior permission, said Abul Kalam Azad, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station.
But the processionists started chanting slogan and engaged in scuffle with policemen forcing the latter to disperse them, he said.
Police arrested 11 leaders and activists from the spot while others fled the scene.
Jamaat lawmaker Shamsul Islam however left the scene on his jeep, witnesses said.
One of the arrestees was Abu Taher Khan, general secretary of city unit of Sramik Kalyan Federation, an associate organisation of Jamaat.
Others were identified as Md Ramzan Ali, 74, Siddikur Rahman, 50, Saber Ahmed, 65, Faruk-e-Azam, 48, Lutfur Rahman, 34, advocate Yusuf Harun, 53, Syed Chanchal Ahmed, 38, Abdul Kader, 55, Jashim Uddin, 25 and Md Yunus, 48.
OC Azad said, police at first urged the Jamaat men near their office at Dewanbazar at around 12.30pm not to bring out any procession without prior permission from Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) commissioner.
But they boarded a microbus and a jeep led by city unit Ameer Shamsul Islam, came to DC office area and tried to bring out procession, he said.
No case was filed in this connection till filing of this report at 6:30pm.
Contacted, Jamaat MP Shamsul Islam said police arrested their activists without any provocation.
He denied the allegation of trying to bring out any procession.
Earlier, at around 11:00am, city BNP leaders, as part of their party programme, held a similar rally and submitted a memo to the DC, reports UNB.
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