Mir Nasir arrested

Police have arrested senior BNP leader Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong for his alleged involvement in violence during the Opposition’s 71-hour nationwide transport blockade.

Chittagong Bureaubdnews24.com
Published : 28 Nov 2013, 04:21 PM
Updated : 28 Nov 2013, 08:05 PM

He was picked up around 9:30pm on Thursday, Chittagong Metropolitan Police’s Additional Commissioner (Crime) Banaj Kumar Majumder told bdnews24.com.

The former State Minister for Civil Aviation and Toursim was on his way to Dhaka, he said.

Majumder said Nasir was arrested in a case filed over vandalism and arson in the port city during the blockade being enforced by the 18-Party alliance.

Nasir, a former Chittagong Mayor, is currently an Advisor to Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia.

Earlier in the morning, police had arrested BNP leader Golam Akbar Khandaker, accused in the same case with Nasir. Khandaker is currently detained in jail pending trial.

Chittagong BNP city unit President Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury was also accused in the violence case. Police raided his house on Wednesday night but did not find him there.

Violent clashes rocked Chittagong on Wednesday during the Opposition blockade called by the BNP-led coalition demanding a non-party polls-time government.

Former Commerce Minister Amir Khosru, Mir Nasir, Central Organising Secretary Khandaker and BNP Chittagong Metropolitan unit General Secretary Shahadat Hossain were booked in two cases filed with Kotwali and Chawkbazar police stations over arson and vandalism on Wednesday.

They have been accused in three other cases as well along with over 900 Opposition supporters.

Earlier in the morning, police arrested former Ambassador Akbar Khondakar in front of the city unit office of the BNP. His Personal Assistant Arjun Kumar Nath, the BNP's north district joint secretary Jasim Uddin, the city Juba Dal leader Yasin Chowdhury Liton and Chittagong University Chhatra Dal leader Khorshed Alam were also arrested.

They were produced in court in the evening and remanded in jail custody.

BNP Standing Committee member ASM Hannan Shah was arrested on Monday, the day the Opposition announced its blockade agitation.

Three other Standing Committee members Moudud Ahmad, MK Anwar, Rafiqul Islan Mia, advisor to the BNP Chairperson Abdul Awal Mintoo, special aide to Khaleda Zia Shamsur Rahaman Shumul Biswas had been arrested earlier.

The five leaders are still in jail having been denied bail on Thursday.

The Opposition had given the call for a road, rail and water transports blockade on Monday in protest against the schedule of the general election announced by the Election Commission.