BNP calls 25-hr hartal from 5:00pm in Thakurgaon
Star Online Report
Detectives
arrested BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in a
bus torching case filed with Paltan Police Station and took him to the
DB headquarters. The Detective Branch of police picked up him as
he came out of the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka around 24 hours after he
took shelter there amid protest by pro-government journalists.
In protest against the arrest, BNP has called a 25-hour hartal from 5:00pm today in Thakurgaon district, the hometown of Fakhrul, reports our district correspondent.
In a statement in the evening, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia condemned the atrocities by the administration and called upon the people to rise against the undemocratic behaviour of the government.
She demanded immediate unconditional release of her party’s spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul and other leaders and activists now in jail.
“On the one hand, the government has kept me confined to my office, on the other hand, it has arrested my party’s acting secretary general in a fascist style,” she said.
The government has launched an arrest spree across the country while the people are passing through a tense situation, the former premier alleged.
Khaleda, also chief of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, has accused the government of misusing the state power and said people are no longer with the ruling Awami League and so it has been carrying out repression and oppression on them.
As soon as Fakhrul came out of the press club premises, four detectives forcibly got in his car and made the driver to drive the vehicle straight to the DB’s Mintoo office, our correspondent reported from the spot.
Deputy Commissioner of DB (South) Krishna Pada Roy told The Daily Star Online that he will be produced before court in the arson case in which he is an accused.
“Later, he will be shown arrested in other cases,” he added.
Speaking to a The Daily Star correspondent from his car, the BNP leader said the ongoing anti-government movement will continue “even if I am arrested.”
Minutes before getting out of the press club, Fakhrul held a press conference at the VIP conference room where he explained the reasons of his staying overnight at the club.
“I did not go out of the press club because of my personal security. I stayed overnight here and took their traditional hospitality,” he told the reporters.
After attending a programme at the press club premises yesterday afternoon, but “I saw all gates of the press club locked and surrounded by police and Awami League activists.”
Fakhrul went to the press club to attend a programme organised by pro-BNP professions at its auditorium yesterday and later he took shelter at the club office around 2:30pm while pro-and anti-government activists were chasing and counter-chasing each other on the premises.
Since then, the pro-Awami League journalists had been protesting his taking shelter at the press club.
The journalists loyal to the government around 1:00pm brought out a procession on the first floor of the press club and chanted slogans demanding eradication of Fakhrul from the premises.
“Press club is not a place for politics. If he [Fakhrul] does not leave the premises within 2:00pm, we will declare further protest programmes and press club authorities will be held responsible for consequences,” Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, media adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said at a press briefing held at the club around 1:30pm.
Earlier around 1:00pm, a faction of Projonmo League, chanting slogans, tried to break into the press club.
A few platoons of police were deployed in front of the press club, said Shibli Noman, assistant commissioner of Ramna zone.
Before leaving the press club, the BNP spokesperson sought bail from the High Court in three separate vandalism cases filed with Paltan and Motijheel police stations. He moved the bail petitions through his lawyers.
The cases were filed with Motijheel and Paltan police stations on charges of vandalising vehicles and preventing police from discharging their duties in the areas on January 4.
Fakhrul made prime accused in the cases.
Mirza Fakhrul gets in car after he came out of the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka. Photo: Amran Hossain
In protest against the arrest, BNP has called a 25-hour hartal from 5:00pm today in Thakurgaon district, the hometown of Fakhrul, reports our district correspondent.
In a statement in the evening, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia condemned the atrocities by the administration and called upon the people to rise against the undemocratic behaviour of the government.
She demanded immediate unconditional release of her party’s spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul and other leaders and activists now in jail.
“On the one hand, the government has kept me confined to my office, on the other hand, it has arrested my party’s acting secretary general in a fascist style,” she said.
The government has launched an arrest spree across the country while the people are passing through a tense situation, the former premier alleged.
Khaleda, also chief of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, has accused the government of misusing the state power and said people are no longer with the ruling Awami League and so it has been carrying out repression and oppression on them.
As soon as Fakhrul came out of the press club premises, four detectives forcibly got in his car and made the driver to drive the vehicle straight to the DB’s Mintoo office, our correspondent reported from the spot.
Deputy Commissioner of DB (South) Krishna Pada Roy told The Daily Star Online that he will be produced before court in the arson case in which he is an accused.
“Later, he will be shown arrested in other cases,” he added.
Speaking to a The Daily Star correspondent from his car, the BNP leader said the ongoing anti-government movement will continue “even if I am arrested.”
Minutes before getting out of the press club, Fakhrul held a press conference at the VIP conference room where he explained the reasons of his staying overnight at the club.
“I did not go out of the press club because of my personal security. I stayed overnight here and took their traditional hospitality,” he told the reporters.
After attending a programme at the press club premises yesterday afternoon, but “I saw all gates of the press club locked and surrounded by police and Awami League activists.”
Fakhrul went to the press club to attend a programme organised by pro-BNP professions at its auditorium yesterday and later he took shelter at the club office around 2:30pm while pro-and anti-government activists were chasing and counter-chasing each other on the premises.
Since then, the pro-Awami League journalists had been protesting his taking shelter at the press club.
The journalists loyal to the government around 1:00pm brought out a procession on the first floor of the press club and chanted slogans demanding eradication of Fakhrul from the premises.
“Press club is not a place for politics. If he [Fakhrul] does not leave the premises within 2:00pm, we will declare further protest programmes and press club authorities will be held responsible for consequences,” Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, media adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said at a press briefing held at the club around 1:30pm.
Earlier around 1:00pm, a faction of Projonmo League, chanting slogans, tried to break into the press club.
A few platoons of police were deployed in front of the press club, said Shibli Noman, assistant commissioner of Ramna zone.
Before leaving the press club, the BNP spokesperson sought bail from the High Court in three separate vandalism cases filed with Paltan and Motijheel police stations. He moved the bail petitions through his lawyers.
The cases were filed with Motijheel and Paltan police stations on charges of vandalising vehicles and preventing police from discharging their duties in the areas on January 4.
Fakhrul made prime accused in the cases.
Pro-Awami
League journalists chant slogans demanding eradication of BNP leader
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir from Jatiya Press Club premises on Tuesday.
Photo: Fardaus Mobarok
Published: 12:11 pm Tuesday, January 06, 2015
Last modified: 7:08 pm Tuesday, January 06, 2015
