CHITTAGONG: Police detained Nayeb-e-Ameer of the district (south) Jamaat Mafizur Rahman along with 25 Shibir activists from a restaurant in a Khulshi Thana area Tuesday, as a crackdown on the party adherents is on stream to forestall protests.

More than 150 other activists fled during the raid, said police.

Khulshi Thana OC Iftekhar Hasan told banglanews24.com.bd that police, on a tip-off, ringed the restaurant and nabbed them.

“The detained persons were in a secret meeting for committing subversive acts,” he said.

The detainees, however, claimed that they had gathered in the restaurant for a fresher-reception programme.

Mafizur Rahman, one of them, said, “I have been serving as teacher for 30 years and they invited me as a guest.”

Government authorities have taken a tough stance as there was massive violence let loose in the port city few days back in a backlash against the arrest of three main leaders of the Islamic party in Dhaka.        

BDST: 1920HRS. JULY 6, 2010