Dhaka inaccessible to BNP leaders barring the party chief herself and women’s wing General Secretary Shirin Sultana.
Khaleda entered her office, cordoned by police personnel, a little before 9pm on Thursday.
Shirin, who was accompanying the BNP Chairperson from her residence, was allowed to get inside.
But police stopped BNP Vice-Chairman Selima Rahman and Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal’s Dhaka metropolitan unit President Sultana Ahmed in front
of the office.
They said office employees were also not allowed to go in either.
No senior party leader other than Selima tried to go to Khaleda’s office following the arrest of several leaders, including former MP
Sardar Sakhawat Hossain Bakul and incumbent MP Shammi Akter, from there on Wednesday.
Police on Wednesday also picked up BNP Standing Committee member RA Gani while he was on his way to Khaleda’s office but later ‘escorted’
him home.
The BNP said the government confined party chief to foil its march towards Dhaka planned on Dec 29 to resist the Jan 5 general election.
The government has deployed additional law-keepers around Khaleda’s office after she announced the ‘march for democracy’ on Tuesday.
Police maintain the security beef-up has been for Khaleda’s safety.
The government has cordoned off the office and residence of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in a bid to isolate her from party leaders and
activists, party leader Nazrul Islam Khan has said.
The main opposition’s policymaker made the allegation on Thursday evening at United Hospital in Dhaka’s Gulshan where he is undergoing
treatment.
He said, “Additional police forces have been deployed at the Opposition Leader’s home and political office at Gulshan after she
announced the March for democracy programme.
“Not only leaders, even relatives are not allowed to enter her home,” the Standing Committee member added.
“Not just that, no leaders and activists are not allowed to enter her Gulshan office. The government has taken this evil strategy to isolate
the Leader of the Opposition from party supporters.
“We deeply condemn this,” he continued. Police on Wednesday night detained former BNP MP Sarder Sakhawat Hossain Bokul from in front of
Khaleda’s residence and Standing Committee member RA Gani, MP Shammi AKter, party chief’s advisor Abdul Awal Mintoo’s son Tabith Awal and
several other leaders and activists from in front of the Gulshan office.
Police, however, said they had escorted Gani to his home from there.
Nazrul Islam Khan on Thursday said, “The government has cordoned the BNP [chief’s] office to thwart the ‘march for democracy’ on Dec 29.
The central office at Naya Paltan has been cordoned off like this over the past several months.”
BNP Vice-Chairman Shamser Mobin Chowdhury also alleged that no-one was allowed to enter the Opposition Leader’s residence and office.
“We could not meet her in the past two days. Its like the Opposition Leader is under siege.” – bdnews24.com
