Dhaka, Sept 4 – The BNP on Tuesday accused the government of arresting party leaders and activists at random implicating them in new cases since its founding anniversary.
The party also alleged that over 400 leaders and activists of the BNP and its associate bodies were arrested during the last several days. Party leaders observed that being panicked after watching flux of people at party’s September 1 public meeting in Dhaka, the government has been carrying out drives to arrest against them so that they cannot organize to wage movement.
The leaders and activists of the BNP and its front and associate organisations had been arrested indiscriminately across the country in a week filing cases under Special Act. Police arrested nearly over 400 leaders and activists of the party across the country in last few days, said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
He said cases were being filed against the party leaders and activists by the government staging act of sabotage like incidents.
“The government was suffering from panic, saying it now gave final bite through arresting and filing false cases against BNP leaders and activists,” he said.
The BNP leader further said the leaders and activists were being implicated in cases bringing the allegation of sabotage and old cases against them were also being revived. Types of allegations were same, so there was no doubt that the cases were planned, he said.
Of the arrested party leaders over 50 were arrested from Kustia and 25 in Jhenaidah, he said
He said new cases have been filed in many districts including Kustia, Bogura, Bagerhat, Mymensingh, Netrakona, Narail, Rajshahi, Naogaon, Jenaidah, Narayanganj, Pirojpur.
In Dhaka, cases were filed with Kadamtoli, Shampur, Demra, Wari, Sutrapur Jatrabari and Tejgaon police stations, he said.
He strongly protested and denounced the arrest of their party men, and demanded the government release the arrested leaders immediately.
Otherwise, he warned that the movement would be intensified to restore the country’s democracy.
Meanwhile, BNP vice chairman Barkatullah Bulu also alleged that the government is carrying out the drive of arrest against the party leaders and activists implicating them in new cases as what he said they are panicked by watching the flux of people at party’s rally.
“The government is suffering from fears of people and carrying out the drive so that BNP leaders and activists cannot organize and launch a movement against them,” he added. – Staff Reporter
