BNP leaders, activists on the run in fear of arrest

Staff Reporter :
BNP leaders and activistsare on the run in fear of arrest since 17 cases were filed in connections with the clashes during the party’s countrywide road march procession on July 18-19.
Police have already arrested over 100 BNP leaders and activists across the country in connections with the cases, BNP party office sources said.

However, many BNP leaders and activists do not stay at home at night to avoid arrest and many have left their respective areas, the sources said.
Following Tuesday’s three-pronged clashes with law enforcers, Awami League and BNP leaders and activists during the nationwide BNP’s peaceful road march, police registered a total of 17 cases against about 920 opposition men by name and about 9,000 mentioning them as unknown in different districts including Dhaka.

The cases were filed in eight districts-Dhaka, Bogura, Lakshmipur, Feni, Khagrachari, Kishoreganj, Joypurhat and Chattogram.
Meanwhile, a case has been filed against BNP men on Thursday with Khulshi police station in Chattogram on charges of attacking and vandalising the Awami League’s election office.
At least 300 unidentified BNP leaders and activists have been accused in the case. Ariful Islam, an Awami League activist, filed the case, Santosh Kumar Chakma, officer-in-charge of Khulshi police station, said.

On Wednesday, leaders and activists of BNP and its affiliated organisations attacked the temporary election office of Awami League candidate Mohiuddin Bachchu in Chattogram-10 by-polls while they were returning from a march held on demand for a non-partisan interim government, members of the ruling party alleged.
Following the incident, Chhatra League and Jubo League leaders attacked BNP’s metropolitan office, alleged BNP leaders.
On the other hand, Sub-inspector Anisur Rahman of Sadar Police Station of Lakshmipur district filed two separate cases naming 55 people including district BNP convener Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie and 3,500 unnamed ones.
Apart from it, another case has been filed under the Special Powers Act against 300 unnamed people in connection with the vandalism in Kamalnagar Upazila Awami League General Secretary Advocate Nurul Amin Raju’s house and car in Lakshmipur town.

Sadar Police Station SI Mozammel Hossan filed another case accusing the same BNP leader along with 25 named and 1500 unnamed ones for obstructing police duty and injuring police.
BNP leader Annie was named as the main accused along with 1,500 unnamed people, said police.

Besides, Sajib’s (killed during a clash) brother Md Sujan Hossain filed a separate case with Sadar police station against unidentified accused over the murder.
Meanwhile, Senior Joint Secretary General of BNP Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said that at least 350 cases were filed against 15,000 leaders and activists by name in the last two months.
“The government is desperately filing cases against BNP leaders and activists ahead of national polls in the country. Over 100 leaders and activists have been arrested in the last two days in false cases that filed across the country on Tuesday’s road march clashes,” Advocate Abdus Salam Azad, Organising Secretary of BNP Dhaka Division told this correspondent.