DHAKA: Police arrested over a hundred people, including senior BNP leaders, from different areas of the capital before and during Sunday’s countrywide hartal, enforced by strong picketing by the opposition party activists.

The detained senior leaders include Mirza Abbas, Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, Ahmed Azam Khan, Abdul Hye, Prof Abdul Mannan and Shaih Uddin Chowdhury Annie MP.

The law enforcers picked up the party standing committee member Mirza Abbas in front of a hotel in Shahjahanpur area at about 11:00am. Police detained him on charge of creating anarchy.  

Meanwhile, they picked up BNP leader and former state minister Abdul Hye in front of Jurain Alam market from a procession. They also detained prof Abdul Mannan and Annie in the city.

Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, BNP vice-chairman, was also detained from Mohakhali Wireless Gate at noon.

Senior correspondent of banglanews24.com.bd Mannan Maruf said, ”Police detained Khaleda Zia’s adviser Ahmed Azam Khan, Prof Abdul Mannan, general secretary of Juba Dal Saiful Alam and three others from Karwan Bazar area at about 10:00am.”

General secretary of Swechchasebok Dal Mir Sharafat Ali Sapu was nabbed in Segunbagicha area.

In another development, police detained five leaders, including former state minister Abdul Hye.

Three Jamaat-Shibir activists were run in from Jatrabari Baitul Mosharraf mosque.

Dhaka University correspondent Abdul Alim Dhrubo said,” Shahbag Thana police detained president of Eden Collage BNP student arm Munni Chowdhury Medha from Shahbag area while picketing.”

Besides, the law enforcers picked up eight Chhatra Dal leaders and activists from Shahabagh and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BMSSU) areas in the morning.

Staff Correspondent Rafe Sadnan Adel informed that five, including ward commissioner Razia Alam and Suraya Khanam, were detained from Captanbazaar area at 10:30 am.”

On-duty police sub-inspector Shahadat said five persons, including Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal convener of Jagannath University Golam Mowla Shahin, were arrested from old Dhaka’s Victoria Park area in the morning.

Earlier, police picked up about 400 in the city’s Lalbagh, Sutrapur, Kotwali, Bongshal, Hazaribagh, Shahbagh and Shah Ali areas. Others were nabbed from Uttara, Badda, Khilgaon and Jatrabari Thana areas.

However, state minister for law advocate Quamrul Islam termed the ‘pick-up’ issue logical. While talking to journalists at the secretariat, he said, “Police are performing their duty in order to maintain law and order.”

BDST: 12:20 Hrs, June 27, 2010.
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