Police cut off food supply to Khaleda’s office

Police have cut off food supply to the leaders and officials of BNP who are staying with Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan office.

The law enforcers deployed in front of the office turned back a wheelbarrow carrying breakfast in the morning and another carrying lunch around 2:30pm on Thursday.

Meal for the BNP leaders and officials at the office was also not allowed to be supplied either on Wednesday night.

Asked about the reason for blocking food supply, a Special Branch (SB) official said they were following orders from the ‘high-up’.

The law enforcers, however, did not stop the supply of food for BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia from her son Tarique Rahman’s in-laws.

Her Press Secretary Maruf Kamal Khan said they ate dry food, fruits and juice.

“I cannot understand under which law the police are blocking food supply,” he said.

Apart from Khan, Khaleda’s advisors Selima Rahman and Abdul Kayum, Special Assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas and around 50 other BNP leaders and officials are staying in that office.

The officials said they did not have arrangements to cook for ‘so many’ people in the office. They did cook a small amount of food on Wednesday and Thursday nights, but were depending on puffed rice, biscuits and other dry foods, they said.

After conversation with higher officials, police personnel deployed in front of the office let in food sanctified in a prayer in a Mirpur mosque for the soul of Khaleda’s son Arafat Rahman Coco.

Prevented from leaving the office amid tension over programmes on Jan 5, the first anniversary of the last general election, the BNP chief has been staying in the office since Jan 3. Stopped again by police on Jan 5, she called a countrywide transport blockade.

She has been staying there even after the law enforcers removed the barricade.

Power line to the office was snapped for around 20 hours on Jan 31. Internet and TV cable lines of the building have also been cut off.