POBNEWS24, Dhaka Oct 18, 2023 : The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Wednesday alleged that more than 200 leaders and activists have been detained in Dhaka in the past 15 hours centring the Naya Paltan rally.
Most of the detained leaders and activists arrived in the capital from various district on Wednesday.
BNP said around 1:00pm that they were picked up from various entry points to the capital, as well as Kakrail, Fakirapool and Malibagh areas.
Police, however, made no statement on the detention as yet.
A senior official of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Motijheel division told Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity that police detained many people after raiding at Naya Paltan and adjacent areas from Tuesday evening, but they are yet to ascertain the number of detainees.
BNP central committee member (attached to central officer) Abdus Sattar Patowary told Pothom Alo on Wednesday afternoon over mobile phone 51 leaders and activists of the party from Hadira union of Tangail’s Gopalpur came to Dhaka to join the rally and they were detained around 4:30am.
Besides, eight people including BNP’s Dhanbari upazila unit finance secretary Alamgir Hossain and expatriate affairs secretary Delowar Hossain were detained from Paltan area on Tuesday and a total of 216 leaders and activists were detained in the last 15 hours, Abdus Sattar Patowary added.
BNP alleged police detained the party leaders and activists, who were on way to Dhaka to join a party rally, on various entry points to the capital or from various places in the capital.
