700 BNP men held ahead of Oct 28 grand rally, leaders allege
Syed Shemul Parvez :
Amid mass arrest and searching by law enforcers, the city inhabitants are gripped with a serious tension centering the opposition and ruling party’s Oct 28 counter rallies in the capital Dhaka.
As per the earlier announcement, the BNP will hold its grand rally in front of the party’s central office at Naya Paltan.
Meanwhile, law enforcement have beefed up secuirity measures at the every entrances of the capital.
Members of law and order forces have been put on high alert marking the upcoming rally of opposition parties.
The law enforcers have been searching private houses and and hotels in the capital to apprehend what they call suspected persons. And as a result, an utter sense of panic has been crated among the people of various professions.
It is known that BNP and Jammat are preparing for the largest gathering of people in history. Continuous program including Dhaka siege declaration could come from there.
Therefore, the opposition party leaders and activists across the country have been arrested in new and old cases.
BNP claims that 49 new cases have been filed against 12,930 BNP leaders and workers in the last 7 days centering the rally. More than 700 people have already been arrested in these cases.
In this regard, BNP says that law and order forces have started new arrests ahead of the mass gathering. Not only the capital, but activists are being arrested all over the country.
The BNP leaders are alleging that hundreds of their party men have been implicated in false and ghost criminal to thwart the ongoing anti-government movement.
However, the BNP high command has given instructions to make the mass rally in Dhaka a success on October 28 by avoiding police arrests, government obstacles and provocations.
Meanwhile, the police say that there are some political rallies on October 28. Detectives believe that three-way bloody conflict-violence is feared on the streets. So the law and order forces are on high alert.
In case of suspicion, it is searched. Necessary action will be taken if the situation deteriorates in the name of rallies.
Analysts say that the police are arresting the leaders and activists of the opposition party by making allegations of involvement in old sabotage cases, suspects or alleged plans of sabotage.
A senior official of the DMP said that there is no plan to carry out mass arrests before the opposition party’s program like in the past.
However, on the basis of specific cases, the arrest operation will be continued.
Regarding the BNP-Jammat rallies, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner (AC) (Crime and Operations) Dr Kh Mahid Uddin said that BNP must hold a rally on October 28 where permission is given.
