The BNP yesterday claimed that more than 2,100 leaders and activists of the party have been arrested during the ongoing nationwide anti-militancy crackdown.“More than 7,000 people have so far been arrested in connection with targeted killing by militants. Of them, over 2,100 are BNP leaders and activists,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a press conference at party headquarters at Naya Paltan in the city.
He alleged that the mass arrest was an attempt to hide the government’s failures and misdeeds
“The ongoing drive is not to put an end to the serial killings but to repress democracy-loving opposition leaders and activists,” he said.
The BNP leader further said the stem roller of the police crackdown is being carried out on the countrymen to suppress the militancy. A large number of suspects, mostly general people, had been arrested so far, he added.
Rizvi questioned the logic behind arrest of thousands of people in the name of crackdown against militants and terrorists. “According to police headquarters only 85 militant suspects were arrested. If it is the case, then why thousands of people were arrested?” he questioned.
He claimed that although several thousand suspects, most of which are innocent and common people, had been held but the government was yet to identify the “real militants”.
“The government failed to identify militants among the arrestees but they are arresting a number of innocent people in the month of Ramadan,” he added.
The BNP leader alleged that the government did not care about the rule of law and that it was the reason why people were being arrested without warrants.
Replying to a question, he alleged that plaincloth police have been are seen in front of the residence of party senior leaders including vice chairman and joint secretary general.
Law enforcement agencies launched the special drive on Friday morning in the wake of recent killings in the country.
Nearly 8,500 people were arrested in the last three days of the drive.
BNP leaders—Mojibur Rahman Sarwar, Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Bilkis Jahan Shirin and Abdus Salam Azad, among others, were present at the meeting.-STAFF REPORTER
