Ehsanul Haque Jasim :
The joint-forces are carrying out the rampant mass-arrest across the country leading many leaders and activists of the BNP-led alliance left their houses and areas to avert arrest, report our correspondents.
Alongside the BNP-Jamaat men, the mass arrest also panicked the common people, as they are being arrested and harassed by the law enforcers. They are carrying the large scale arrest making good business out of it as many alleged although the law enforcers denied the allegation against them.
Talking to The New Nation, some leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat said, their parties are now facing fresh pressure, as the arrest drive has began ahead of the municipality polls to be held in December.
BNP leaders said that cases filed against them and the mass-arrest are also hampering formation of new committees of the party across the country.
The central BNP on Thursday alleged that the government is now out on an indiscriminate arrest drive as part of its plot to hold lopsided municipality polls. “The main motive behind the mass arrest is to create obstacle so that BNP can’t join the local body polls,” BNP spokesman Dr Asaduzzaman Ripon said at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office.
He further said, it would be difficult for the party to join the election, as many of their prospective candidates and polling agents have already been arrested. He demanded the government to stop the mass-arrest and release those who have already been arrested to ensure a level-playing field for the upcoming polls.
The BNP leader claimed at least 3,000 party men were arrested in the last one week across the country and many others left local areas in fear of repression.
The Jamaat leaders claimed several thousand Jamaat-Shibir men were arrested in the last few days during the drives. Police, however, claimed that these were regular drives against the accused and the suspected people along with criminals.
Leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat-Shibir, were arrested from different parts of the country from Wednesday night to Thursday evening during the drives of joint-force.
In Sylhet, police arrested Jamaat-e-Islami Sylhet district (South) unit general secretary and former Upazila chairman of South Surma Maulana Lokman Ahmad from his residence in South Surma on early Thursday. OC of South Surma Ataur Rahman said that they arrested the Jamaat leader on charge of several cases.
In Satkhira, the joint-force arrested 41 people, including 27 leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat-Shibir, from different places from Wednesday night to Thursday morning.
Enamul Haque, sub-inspector of Satkhira Special Branch, said that the joint-forces conducted separate drives in eight upazilas of the district and arrested 41 people, including one of BNP and 26 of Jamaat-Shibir men, on various charges.
In Mymensingh, at least 69 activists of BNP-Jamaat were arrested. Superintendent of police, Noree Alom told our Mymensingh Correspondent that all of the arrested persons were wanted as accused in different cases of sabotage and extortion.
In Kushtia, at least 34 people, including BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami men were arrested in joint-forces drives. Khuksha upazila BNP president Syed Amzad is among the arrestees.
Many BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami men were also arrested in Moulvibazar, Sunamganj, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Manikganj and Tangail.
