Vigil at Khaleda’s house heightened

Police presence at Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia's Gulshan residence has been increased soon after the BNP said it is going ahead with its Sunday’s rally at Naya Paltan 'at any cost'.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 28 Dec 2013, 03:11 PM
Updated : 28 Dec 2013, 04:42 PM

The party said its chief Khaleda would address the rally.

Police put up barricades on both sides of the road leading to her house on Saturday evening, minutes after party Vice-Chairman Hafizuddin Ahmed made the announcements at a press briefing.

Female police members were also among the strong contingent of law enforcers deployed in front of the gate of her residence.

The BNP Chairperson was supposed to go to her office at Gulshan around 8pm, but she was not seen leaving her house until 10pm.

BNP leaders alleged her personal protocol vehicle was also withdrawn, but DMP’s Gulshan zone Assistant Commissioner Nurul Alam denied the allegation.

Asked why female police members were there, he told bdnews24.com: “Female police members are there to ensure the Opposition Leader’s security.”

He also claimed Khaleda’s movement was not restricted.

Additional police forces have been deployed at her office and residence at Dhaka’s Gulshan since Dec 24, after she announced the march to Dhaka for democracy and the rally at the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters.

BNP's spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, in a statement on Saturday night, alleged the government had "illegally withdrawn Khaleda's protocol".

Police have denied the allegations.

The statement said two sand-laden trucks had been used as barricades on the two ends of the street in front of Khaleda's residence.

The BNP chief had gone to her Gulshan office amid the heavy police presence on last Wednesday and Thursday.
She had stayed at her office alone on Thursday night after the detention of several of her party's leaders on Wednesday night from in front of the office.
Police say the additional security was for the "safety" of the Opposition Leader.
BNP's former MP Sardar Sakhawat Hossain Bakul was detained on Wednesday while he was entering the house. Police had picked up the BNP chief's adviser Abdul Awal Mintoo and her special aide Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas from the same spot two months ago.
Police have not granted permission to the BNP to hold a rally in front of its Naya Paltan headquarters.
At Saturday's media briefing, Hafizuddin said they would start their rally in time and the Opposition Leader would attend it any time.
Khaleda Zia in a video message on Friday had urged her supporters to make the rally a success even if she could not attend it.