Law enforcement agencies have planned a massive crackdown against Opposition leaders and activists across the country, ahead of the BNP-led Opposition rally in the capital on October 25.
According to police sources, in some parts of the country, they have already started arresting Opposition leaders and activists. On Friday afternoon, police set up check-posts in and around the capital for screening vehicles and preventing Opposition cadres from entering Dhaka with arms and explosives in a bid to carry out sabotage, a senior police officer, not wanting to be named, told The Independent.
Intelligence sources told The Independent that they were monitoring the movements of central leaders of the Opposition alliance.
Dhaka City BNP convener Sadek Hossain Khokha, BNP chief whip Joynal Abdin Farroque, office secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizbi Ahmed, Shahiduddin Ahmed Any, Moazzem Hossain Alal, Saiful Islam Alal, Habib-un-Nabi Khan Shohel and Azizul Bari Helal top the list of Opposition leaders who are being closely watched by intelligence agencies. Their phone calls, SMS, even their activities on the Internet are being monitored, police sources said.
On Friday afternoon, police raided the residence of Dhaka City (North) Jubo Dal general secretary SM Jahangir in the Uttara area of the capital. However, he was not home.
Jahangir’s family members alleged that without any warrant, even without any specific complaint, police raided their house and damaged many valuables in the name of carrying out a search. They further said that they were harassed by policemen in plain clothes. Local sources said police have already arrested several Opposition activists in Kishorganj, Feni and Mymensing districts.
In Mymensing, on Thursday night police arrested at least 15 activists of the BNP and its different front organisations, including a central leader, for an alleged conspiracy to launch terrorist activities in the district.
Police said they arrested Enamul Haque Liton Akanond, district BNP assistant organising secretary and central Jubo Dal leader, in front of the Mymensing Circuit House.
They also arrested four Opposition activists from Bhaloka, one from Trishal, two from Eshorganj, one from Gouripur, two from Muktagachha and one from Fulbaria upazila of the district.
Talking to The Independent Moynul Haque, district police superintend confirmed the arrests and claimed that they were accused in several criminal cases.
In Kishorganj, police arrested at least five BNP and three Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami activists.
According to police sources, on Tuesday night, police arrested district Jamaat executive member Fazlul Haque and three others. They have also arrested five grassroots level leaders of the BNP.
In Feni, police arrested 20 cadres of the Islamic Chhatra Shibir (ICS) on Friday morning, local sources said. Protesting against the arrest, the hardline right-wing student front brought out a procession in the district town obstructing traffic on Friday morning.
On Thursday, police arrested 20 activists of the Jamaat and its student wing, the ICS, from Muhuriganj Bazar in Chhagalnaiya upazila of Feni.
The OC (Investigation) of Chhagalnaiya police station said the arrests were made when they were holding a clandestine meeting at the Bandhan Community Centre at the bazar around 1 pm. Later, they were taken to the office of the district police super.
-With The Independent input
