Khaleda Zia has reached the BNP headquarters in Naya Paltan two days after the arrest of her party leaders in a police raid there.
Published : 13 Mar 2013, 11:24 AM
She drove there at around 5:53 amid applause from leaders and workers.
Khaleda’s security personnel had a tough time escorting her through the crowd from Kakrail’s Nightingale Intersection to the entrance to the office.
Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Vice-Chairman Sadeque Hossain Khoka greeted the Chairperson at the entrance.
The BNP chief last visited the Naya Paltan office on Apr 23, 2011. Khaleda was there during a break from an executive committee meeting of the ‘Mahangar Natymancha’ she was attending and remained in the office for a little while.
She was in Naya Paltan last year to attend the rally of the 18-Party Alliance but did not enter the office.
The BNP chief usually holds meeting with party leaders at her political office in Gulshan.
Thousands of leaders and supporters gathered in front of the party headquarters to greet her.
The stretch from Nightingale intersection to the Fakirapool roundabout is filled with the party supporters. Police stopped movement of all vehicles on the Naya Paltan road from 2pm.
Several blasts took place at the BNP-led 18-party Alliance’s rally on Mar 11. Police entered the office building right after the explosions.
Police arrested top leaders of the BNP along with more than 100 leaders and activists and conducted raids in almost all the rooms of the office. Police said they recovered ten crude bombs during their search.
Mirza Fakhrul and two other leaders were released on Tuesday but Paltan Police filed two cases accusing 154 BNP leaders and activists under the Speedy Trial Act and the Explosives Act.