BNP on the run

BNP is facing an uphill battle in different parts of the country in maintaining its existence on the streets due to mass arrests.

In Sylhet, over 300 BNP leaders and activists are in jail. Their programmes are mostly confined to leaflet distribution, that too on a limited scale.

On December 23, police arrested five individuals, including BNP Sylhet city unit general secretary Emdad Hossain Chowdhury and Jubo Dal's Sylhet district unit president Muminul Islam, while they were distributing leaflets in Bandarbazar.

BNP leaders alleged that law enforcement agencies are raiding the houses of its activists to make arrests.

BNP and its allies have no running office in Sylhet due to continuous raids and arrest sprees by law enforcers, they added.

Moksud Ahmed, general secretary of Sylhet Jubo Dal, said, "We can't stay at home or roam openly in the street... I am also living a fugitive life with 10 fresh cases."

On Saturday, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal, in his visit to Sylhet, said BNP boycotting the polls is a democratic right, and law enforcers were directed to consider it that way if BNP remains peaceful.

Abdul Quiyum Chowdhury, president of the Sylhet district unit of BNP, said, "Two of our leaders were recently arrested during a peaceful leaflet distribution programme. Even if the CEC truly gave such direction to law enforcement agencies, there is no reflection of that."

MYMENSINGH

Turning westward, in Mymenshingh city, the BNP office has remained padlocked since October 29.

AKM Mahbubur Rahman, joint-convener of Mymensingh City BNP alleged  they cannot gather at the party office on Horikishore Roy Road due to police raids.

Many leaders are also on the run to avoid arrests under different "false" cases, Mahbub said.

Md Jewel Mia, caretaker of the office, said he had never witnessed such a situation under any elected government during his service at the office in 26 years.

"We have been continuing our programme of distributing anti-election leaflets in the city and other parts of the district, but we are in constant fear of police arrest," said a BNP leader.

After the arrest of Emran Saleh Prince, a central leader and organising secretary of BNP in Mymensingh, most party men have gone into hiding.

Police recently arrested 10 BNP men from different areas of the city when they were preparing for protest rallies.

OC Md Faruq Hossain of Mymensingh district Detective Branch of Police said he was not aware of the BNP office being padlocked. BNP men can gather at their office, as there is no bar from police. Police only arrested those accused in different cases, he said.