Police attackers are infiltrators, not BNP activists, says Fakhrul

The BNP has claimed that those who swooped on police outside the High Court on Tuesday were infiltrators, not its activists.

Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the claim during a media briefing at the BNP headquarters in Dhaka on Wednesday.

“The incident made headlines but to be very frank, we do not recognise these people. They are infiltrators we fear.”

Fakhrul alleged that the government staged the scene. “The government deliberately did this to taint our peaceful protests.”

Police arrested 69 people on Tuesday during a clash with agitating BNP activists who took away weapons and other protective gears from law-enforcers.

The incident coincided with BNP chief Khaleda Zia's court appearance as part of the Zia Charitable Trust graft case hearing in Old Dhaka.

BNP activists attacked a prison van near the High Court and snatched two detainees in the presence of Khaleda as she was returning from the court hearing, Deputy Police Commissioner Maruf Hossain Sardar said.

Three cases have been started against a few hundred people over the incident.

The government was trying to create tension prior to Feb 8, the day set for the verdict in a graft case against Khaleda, Fakhrul said.

Khaleda, a former prime minister, faces up to life in prison if found guilty of the charges, which means she will be disqualified for running in the parliamentary polls.

“The government aims to stir up disorder and tension on the political scene and for that, they have cooked up this case against Khaleda Zia and set a date for the verdict,” said Fakhrul.

Police arrested BNP leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy in Dhaka’s Gulshan hours after Tuesday’s attacks.

Gayeshwar, a member of BNP’s policymaking body National Standing Committee, had threatened to topple the government to free Khaleda in case she was convicted.

“They are not allowing anyone to meet Gayeshwar Chandra Roy. He is aged and ill. He needs to take medicines every day. They did not even allow him to carry along the medicines,” Fakhrul said.

Police were yet to admit that they picked up BNP Joint Organising Secretary Aninda Islam Amit, son of Standing Committee member Tariqul Islam, from his Shantinagar residence on Tuesday night, he added.

“They raided the Uttara residence of our standing committee mel mber Zamir Uddin Sircar, arrested Juba Dal Joint Secretary Gazi Habib Hasan and placed Swechhasebak Dal Organising Secretary Yasin Ali on remand.”

“This is how oppression is going on.”

Police raided houses of BNP Vice-Chairman Abdul Mannan, Nitai Roy Chowdhury, Joint Secretary General Habib Un Nabi Khan Sohel, Shafiul Bari Babu, president of BNP’s Swecchasebak Dal, Dhaka Metropolitan BNP unit’s Ahsan Ullah Hasan and Juba Dal (Jinjira) President Mamun on Tuesday, Fakhrul said.