'BNP plotted to occupy streets, create chaos'
The foreign ministry has told all diplomatic missions in Dhaka that the BNP planned to take control of the streets forcefully through the December-10 rally and invite a vested quarter to power by creating anarchy.
In a letter sent to the missions on December 12, the ministry said BNP leaders Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Mirza Abbas were arrested as they have been involved in planning deliberate violence and chaos by instigating party workers to attack law enforcement agents.
Earlier, 15 foreign missions in Dhaka on December 7 issued a joint statement reaffirming the importance of free, fair, inclusive and peaceful electoral process in Bangladesh.
Also, the White House on December 10 called on Bangladesh government to fully investigate reports of violence against journalists and human rights activists ahead of a major political protest, and urged all parties to refrain from violence.
In the letter, the ministry said the BNP leaders announced bringing around 2.5 million people to Dhaka from all over the country for a rally on December 10.
Assessing the possible implications on security, public safety, safety of properties, public mobility and overall law and order in the capital ahead of the Victory Day, Dhaka Metropolitan Police offered the BNP historic Suhrawardy Udyan, which has enough space for large gathering, as the venue for its public meeting.
The BNP, however, turned down the offer under the pretext that it would not have enough time for preparing the venue, as Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League was scheduled to hold its national council on December 8 at the same venue.
According to the letter, in a goodwill gesture, the ruling party decided to bring forward the BCL's council and hold it on December 6 to give the BNP enough time to prepare the venue. BNP leaders, however, insisted on holding the meeting on the busy road in front of its Nayapaltan party office without showing any good reason.
Nayapaltan is one of the busiest areas in Dhaka with numerous public and private offices, business outlets and residential buildings. Even a small gathering in the area seriously reduces public mobility and leads to traffic jams in the entire city, it said.
"Thus, holding such a large political meeting there would risk public safety and security, security of properties, as well as public mobility severely.
"In assessing the situation, police also took into account the unprovoked vandalism done by BNP activists during their unauthorised gathering in Nayapaltan on December 7, 2022, that resulted in severe injuries of police personnel and the death of a passerby."
The DMP was then working even on alternative venues as the BNP did not want to hold the public meeting at Suhrawardy Udyan. Senior AL leaders also sought an amicable solution to the venue issue.
"Presumably, BNP leaders wanted to make a political issue out of the venue. Their objective was to create anarchy on the busy public street as they did in 2014 and 2018 before the national elections," said the letter.
"They wanted to take common people under hostage situation to make their unlawful demand," it added.
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