President of Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) AQM Badrudozza Chowdhury was barred from meeting besieged BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday.
The BDB chief came to Khaleda’s Gulshan office around 12 noon to meet the former Prime Minister.
As his motorcade came close to the office, law enforcers deployed around it intercepted those.The law enforcers did not remove the road barricade even after the BDB chief identified him as the country’s former President.
“I don’t like to engage in scuffle. Allow me to meet the opposition leader. Or else, I’ll convey a message to the world community about what is happening here and the attitude of this illegal government,” he told the on-duty police.
Later, B Chowdhury got down from his vehicle and moved towards Khaleda’s office on foot.
After a few steps, police again intercepted B Chowdhury who was accompanied by his party’s secretary general Abdul Mannan.
He then wanted to know as to why he was being obstructed from meeting Khaleda.
A police constable then replied they are barring him as per the order of their high-ups. “We’ve been asked to bar any one from meeting her (Khaleda). You can talk to our officers,” the constable told the BDB chief.
As B Chowdhury asked him to bring his officer to him, the constable suggested him to go himself to the officers.
“I’m a former President. What rubbish you’re talking about. You’re like my grandchild. You can’t talk to a senior citizen in such a manner. Why should I go to your officers? Ask him to come here,” an angry B Chowdhury told the constable.
Later, talking to reporters, the BDB chief expressed anger over the ‘undemocratic’ attitude of the government and audacity of the law enforcers. “I’m a senior citizen of the country. I was not allowed to meet her. “I think such an attitude of police and besieging a top opposition leader are an ominous sign for democracy.”
The angry BDB president also said with anger though he had no support for the 20-party’s programmes, his party from now on supports its programmes to mark January-5 as ‘Democracy Killing Day’.
The BDB chief also urged people to put up a strong resistance against the current illegal and undemocratic government. “I came here to meet the opposition leader as she remained confined to her office since last night. Besieging an opposition leader in such a manner is shameful for democracy. I condemn and strongly protest,” B Chowdhury observed.
Venting his grievances over police attitude towards a former President, he said the police force of a democratic country cannot behave like this. “It’s quite discourteous.
He also observed that the government by confining Khaleda has exposed its true colour.
After having failed to meet Khaleda, he left the spot around 12:35pm.
Meanwhile, nearly 40 BNP junior leaders and activists also gathered in front of the office soon after B Chowdhury had arrived there and chanted anti-government slogans.
Later, police swung into action and dispersed the BNP activists charging batons.
They also locked into a scuffle with the BNP activists, including with female ones.
Later, police picked some 4-5 female activists of the party.
Police also obstructed leaders of different professional bodies from entering the office.
The situation, however, changed after 2pm as the law enforcers allowed pro-BNP journalists and lawyers to enter the office and meet Khaleda.
Confined to her Gulshan political office by police, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia had to stay overnight there on Saturday, a day before her party-led 20-party’s much-hyped January-5 rally.
The barricade that was put up by the law enforcers in front of the BNP chief’s office through keeping their vehicles indiscriminately is still in place, forcing the BNP chief to stay at her office till filing of this report at about 3pm.
Earlier on Saturday midnight, plainclothes police vacated BNP’s Nayapaltan central office and put it under lock and key after picking up its ailing joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and driving out five office staff. – UNB
