Local BNP units in Comilla, Noakhali, Pabna, Bhola, Feni and Khagrachari have enforced general strike (hartal) on Saturday in the districts to protest against the arrests of senior party leaders and police harassment.
The BNP’s Comilla unit has enforced the dawn-to-dusk strike at Homna and Titas Upazilas while the Noakhali unit at Sadar Purbanchal, Kabirhat and Companiganj in protest against arrests of MK Anwar and Barrister Moudud Ahmed respectively.Feni unit has put in force the daylong strike protesting the arrest of Abdul Awal Mintoo at the district`s Dagonbhuiyan Upazila and the Pabna unit in protest against the arrests of the leaders including Shimul
Biswas.Protesting the arrests of central leaders and keeping the Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office in police confined, local unit of Bhola BNP announced a shutdown in the district.Khagrachari BNP has enforced a daylong hartal in the district in protest against police attack on the program of November 7.
Detective Branch of police picked up three BNP top leaders — Moudud, MK Anwar and Barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah from the city’s Karwanbazar area as soon as they came out of Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel around 8:15pm Friday.Hours after arresting three BNP standing committee members, police
also detained adviser to BNP Chairperson Abdul Awal Mintoo and her special assistant Shimul Biswas.Meanwhile, huge members of police were deployed around BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office in capital.BNP has threatened to prolong the Opposition’s 72-hour shutdown if its senior leaders are not immediately released.Opposition activists also took out protest processions, vandalised and torched vehicles in Dhaka and Chittagong’s Sitakunda.BNP adherents took out processions in Chuadanga and Jamalpur to protest the arrests and in different areas of Noakhali.
BNP activists also vandalised several vehicles both at Companiganj and Kabirhat Upazilas, police said.Staff Correspondent
