BNP, Jamaat leaders held

Joint forces have detained 86 BNP and Jamaat leaders and activists in various Jessore Upazilas till Tuesday morning on charges of attack on polling centres before and during Sunday’s polling.

Of them, 70 were held from Monirampur Upazila, Assistant Superintendent of Police (Sadar) Reshma Sharmin said.

Seven were held from Sadar Upazila, three from Chougachha and five Abhaynagar Upazila, she said.

Police said they all had been held on charges of acts of sabotage and violence at voting centres and preventing voters from casting their voters.

Monirampur Upazila BNP president and municipality mayor Shaheed Mohammad Iqbal was also held on Tuesday afternoon.

He had been arrested from his house, said Sharmin, for acts of sabotage during the poll eve and polling day.

Strike in Monirampur

Monirampur BNP-led 18-party alliance called dawn-to-dusk shutdown for Wednesday in protest against Iqbal’s arrest.

Violence had forced the suspension of polling at 60 centres of Jessore-5 on the voting day.