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Published : 04 Dec 2013, 09:17 PM
Khoka had been staying at an undisclosed location since he was implicated in three cases of arson last month.
The former Dhaka City Mayor's aide Monirul Islam told bdnews24.com that detectives had picked Khoka up from a house in Uttara on Wednesday night.
Police were not immediately available to confirm or deny Khoka’s detention, nor did the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) throw any light on the matter.
When approached, RAB Director General Mokhlesur Rahman told bdnews24.com everything would become clear when the court opens on Thursday.
The BNP has condemned Khoka's arrest.
In a media statement sent from an undisclosed location, party's Joint Secretary General Salahuddin Ahmed alleged the government had arrested Khoka as it had become 'bewildered' at the 'spontaneous' participation of the people in the Opposition's movement.
Several top BNP leaders have been arrested and charged with various criminal offences since Nov 8.
Of them, there are four BNP Standing Committee members, two advisors to BNP chief Khaleda Zia and her special assistant. They are now in jail pending trial.
Police had been silent about the arrest of many of them until it was almost time to produce them in court.
Police detectives had on Saturday arrested BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, but they had refused to confirm the detention for another 10 hours.
Police had detained Rizvi and central executive committee member Belal Ahmed from inside the party's headquarters.
Rizvi and Ahmed were then shown as arrested in an arson case. Khoka was also named as an accused in the same case, prompting him to go into hiding.
Khoka has been implicated over Shahbagh and Matuail arson.
BNP’s acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas have been lying low since they were accused in Malibagh and Shahbagh cases.
In the absence of the top leaders, Salahuddin Ahmed is standing in as the party’s spokesperson.
As he, too, has been accused in multiple cases and is issuing statements on behalf of the party from an undisclosed location.
File Photo
The BNP has been agitating for the restoration of the ‘non-party’ caretaker government to oversee the next elections.
The Election Commission had on 25 Nov declared the election schedule, setting 5 Jan as the election date.
Rejecting it and demanding its postponement, the BNP has gone about enforcing transport blockades.
Around 50 persons have reportedly died in police firing, arson and clashes during the two spells of the Opposition alliance’s countrywide marathon transport starting from Nov 26.
Around an hour before Khoka was arrested, ruling Awami League’s Central Working Committee decided hold the elections as scheduled, keeping Sheikh Hasina in the prime ministerial post.
