DHAKA: Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary general of Bangladesh’s main opposition party BNP, has been detained by police from his Gulshan residence in the capital on Sunday.
The action comes a day after Dhaka saw violent clashes between police and protesters who were demanding the resignation of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, leading to the death of two people, including a police constable, and injuries to hundreds of people.
“Detective Branch, a specialised unit of Bangladesh Police has detained Alamgir from his house. BNP Jamat men are accused of attacking the residence of the Chief Justice, killing a police official and attacking media and police personnel, police said.
The youth killed during the general meeting of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in Nayapaltan was identified as Shamim Mia.
Shamim’s father Yusuf Mia said: “My son was not a BNP man but driver of a doctor. He died during clash between police and BNP protesters. Some people rescued him and took him to Rajarbagh Central Police Hospital where the doctor on duty declared him brought dead.”
Three people were arrested from Gazipur outskirt of Dhaka on the charges of exploding crude bombs and blocking roads by setting a motorbike afire on the Kaliganj-Tongi-Ghorashal bypass road at Kaliganj upazila in Gazipur district on Saturday night.
Firefighters doused the blaze and recovered the two unexploded bombs from the spot, said Rahman, Kaliganj Police Station officer-in-charge Md Fayejur Rahman said.
All three accused — Md Yusuf, 39, Rasel, 40, and Bipul Sheikh, 32, — have been arrested.
A bus of Asim Paribahan at Daila in Demra of Dhaka was set afire early Sunday, leading to the death of helper (driver’s assistant) who was sleeping in the vehicle. The deceased was identified as Naimul. Naimul’s relatives alleged, “BNP men saw Naimul sleeping inside the bus, still they set it afire. Jamat BNP men burnt him to death. Another assistant has suffered 20 per cent burn injuries.
Lima Khanam, duty officer at the Fire Service and Civil Defence control room, told IANS that the bus was kept parked in the area. On information, the firefighters rushed to the spot, doused the flame, and recovered the body of the bus staff.
Meanwhile, a bomb disposal unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has taken position in front of the BNP’s central office at Nayapaltan in the capital. A huge number of armoured law enforcers and police vehicles remained deployed in the area.
No BNP leaders and activists have been seen at the party office since this morning. Earlier in the day, Alamgir was barred from going into the BNP office this morning. “He (Fakhrul) was taken from his home in Gulshan around 9:30 am on Sunday (October 29),” said Shayrul Kabir Khan, a member of the BNP Chairperson’s media wing. BNP had called for a nationwide strike on Sunday, demanding the resignation of the Hasina government. Bangladesh is slated to go to polls in January, 2024. (IANS)
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