Shakir Ahmed :
Intelligence agencies have listed around 2,800 top-ranking leaders of BNP and Jamaat across the country and kept them under strict intelligence surveillance to avoid any anarchy during the ongoing blockade enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance, police sources said.
They include presidents and general secretaries of ward, union, upazila and district BNP, Jamaat, Jubo Dal, Chhatra Dal and Islami Chhatra Shibir.
A high official of police, preferring anonymity, told The New Nation on Monday that the government has ordered the law enforcing agencies to keep vigil on opposition leaders to avert any act of sabotage and anarchy. “Order has also given to nab the listed leaders,” he added. The official further said that the list was prepared collecting field level information by the intelligence agencies. “Each police station across the country helped them for doing so.”
“We have information that these leaders will use party cadres providing them monetary support for carrying out criminal activities across the country with an intention to deteriorate the law and order situation,” he added.
When asked, he said, the law-enforcing agencies are working sincerely to avert any untoward situation. Besides, adequate measures have also been taken to save lives and properties.
The government also ordered the high-ups of the RAB and police to take tough stance against any acts of violence during the ongoing blockade in an apparent move to show ‘zero tolerance’ against the violence.
Refuting the allegation that law-enforcing agencies are detaining innocent people in the name of joint drive, he said, “We are only detaining listed people and criminals but not the general people.” The official told this correspondent that the law-enforcers have arrested over 3,200 activists of BNP-led 20-party alliance in the last 15 days. According to sources, at least 28 people were killed and more than 200 injured across the country during the blockade that entered the 16th day on Monday. Blockade supporters also vandalized at least 300 vehicles and set ablaze 200 vehicles in arson attack. They also locked into clashes with anti-blockade supporters and the members of law-enforcing agencies and blasted crude bombs on police buses creating panic among the people. Another statistics showed that at least 21 BNP-Jamaat men were killed by the members of the law-enforcement agencies in the last one month.
