Police have detained BNP leader and Supreme Court Bar Association Secretary Mahbub Uddin Khokon in Dhaka. He was picked up near the Supreme Court around 4.15pm on Thursday. Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman confirmed the arrest but declined to reveal the charges against the MP from the Noakhali-1 constituency.Hours before his detention, Khokan had sought bail for senior BNP leaders including Moudud Ahmed in a hearing at the High Court. He is the second BNP MP to be detained after the party Chairperson Khaleda Zia gave a call for ‘march to Dhaka’ to resist the Jan 5 polls.
Police arrested BNP MP Shammi Akter and former MP Sarwar Sakhawat Bakul from in front of Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office on Wednesday. The two leaders were produced before the court on Thursday and the police prayed for their remand.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Maruf Hossain rejected the remand prayer and sent them to jail. Police have been granted permission to question the BNP leaders at the jail gate.
Police initially denied having detained Shammi Akter. Later she was shown arrested in a case over car vandalism and arson filed with the Banani Police.
Former BNP MP Bakul was shown arrested in a case over vandalism and arson attack on a bus filed with the Bhatara Police.
Lawyers of the BNP leaders alleged the cases had been filed to harass them.
Two arrested BNP leaders, Sadeque Hosain Khoka and ASM Hannan Shah, were produced before the court at the end of their 2-day remand. The court sent them to jail.
Police detained a number of BNP leaders from in front of the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office on Wednesday night. Some of them were later released.
Many BNP leaders are now behind bars amid an agitation demanding the cancellation of the Jan 5 poll schedule.
Among the arrested leaders are Moudud Ahmed, MK Anwar, Rafiqul Islam Mia, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Mir Mohammad Nasim Uddin, Golam Akbar Khandaker, Abdul Awal Mintoo and Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas. – bdnews24.com
