Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
Many leaders and hundreds of BNP activists marched on the streets in the capital and other cities and districts yesterday defying the ongoing crackdown of law enforcing agencies.
A good number of leaders and activists of BNP, Jubo Dal, Jatiyatabadi Chhtra Dal and some other front organizations, joined Khaleda Zia’s motorcade from Satrasta to Bakshibazar tempoprary court premises breaking security barricades of Police and its pre announced notifications.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee members Dr Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain and Amir Khashru Mahmud Chowdhury, party Joint-Secretary General Habibun-Nabi Khan Sohel and some other leaders joined her motorcade from in front of High Court main gate on her way to the court.
Presence of BNP activists and sympathizers were huge in the capital but they remained mainly silent to avoid heavily armed police action and ruling party cadres’ attacks. As a result the city remained largely peaceful although tension was high and uncertainty grips city life.
Buses and other transports were almost absent in the streets causing inordinate suffering to commuters. But confrontational events were unnoticed except at few places.
The BNP’s Chittagong city unit General Secretary Dr Shahadad Hossain, JCD president Rajeeb Ahsan and many leaders and activists, among others, were detained from the capital and other parts of country on Thursday.
Around 4,500 BNP and Jamaat men were arrested during the ongoing crackdown in last 10 days ahead of the verdict in Zia Orphanage case against Khaleda Zia.
Earlier, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi claimed over 3,500 BNP activists were detained since Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, BNP supporters reportedly torched and vandalized a truck, five cars and dozens of motorcycles and other vehicles by defying of Police chief’s security assurance and transport workers guard of buses and and cars.
In capital, at least two cars and three motorcycles were vanished during the passing of Khaleda’s motor convoyed at Kakrail in the city.
Meanwhile, several clashes had ensued between BNP activists and law enforcers near Kakrail intersection, Matsyabahaban, Press Club intersection, Doyel Chattar and Chnkhanpool areas.
The situation in front of BNP central office at Nayapaltan was cam as heavy police deployment maintain tight security in the area.
In Chittagong, BNP city unit secretary was arrested while gathering with hundreds of activists in the city.
In Rajshahi, around one hundred BNP men gathered at city’s different points on Thursday.
In Mymensingh, miscreants set fire on a compartment of Bijoy Express in Mymensinh around 8:00pm on Thursday. Locals and guards doused the fire within an hour.
Law enforcers detained four persons for interrogation in connection with the fire, said Abdul Manna, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Government Railway Police.
In Satkhira, some unidentified miscreants set fire on a Air Conditioned (AC) standing bus at Bakal, adjacent to the district town on thursday evening.
In Sherpur, a truck was torched at Char Bazar in Sreebardi upazial of Sherpur district around 4:00am on Thursday. The truck, laden with stones, left Kurigram for Tangail around 4:00pm Wednesday, said local police OC Rezaul Hoque.
In Rangpur, at least 15 people wee arrested from Rangpur city in last 24 hours.
In Khulna, police arrested 34 people in the city and others parts of the district.
In Sylhet, at least 106, people, including BNP men, people were arrested from Sylhet district in last 10 days.
In Barisal, Police arrested 87 people from Barisal during the ongoing crackdown.
In Kurigram, Police arrested 39 BNP-Jamaat men on Thursday morning.
In Habiganj, at least 22 members of BNP and its front organization were arrested in the district in last 24 hours.
In Jhenaidah, at least 180 men, including 16 Jamaat and 30 BNP activists, were arrested in different upazials.
In Nilphamari, law enforcers detained about 25 BNP-Jamaat men from the different upazilas on Thursday.
In Feni, three cocktails were recovered in Sonagai in the district.
