Police out to instil fear in BNP men

Police are spreading panic in the name of collecting personal information of leaders and activists of the BNP and other opposition parties going door to door, the BNP alleged yesterday.

"Whenever any movement begins, police go door to door for this," BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told a press conference at party Chairperson Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office.

He claimed that such acts of police are blatant interference in personal freedom of citizens, which is a clear violation of articles 31, 32, and 43 of the constitution. "No law permits this."

Fakhrul said in recent times it has been observed that police are harassing BNP and opposition party leaders and activists in the name of gathering personal information even from remote areas of the country.

He also alleged that police in various areas are also seeking information about one activist from another, committee members of the BNP and its front bodies.

Fakhrul said they are also gathering information about the relatives of leaders and activists of the BNP and other opposition parties across the country, creating panic.

He urged the police to stop this and carry out the constitutional responsibility bestowed upon them.

In reply to a query, Fakhrul said even police came to his house to collect information, but they failed to produce any valid documents in this regard.

The BNP leader said the proposal of the Election Commission to purchase two lakh electronic voting machines (EVMs) is a "mockery".

"When people want that the next election should be held under a non-partisan government and almost all the political parties except for the ruling Awami League are against the use of EVM in the polls, the Election Commission's such decision is nothing but a mockery."