Police detain BNP activists from protest march for Khaleda

BNP activists have resumed their protests against the incarceration of party chief Khaleda Zia in front of the party’s headquarters at Dhaka’s Naya Paltan.

BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas, Vice Chairman Barkatullah Bulu and Advisory Council member Zainul Abedin Faruk led the protests on Saturday.

Police later broke up the protests and detained several activists on the scene.

At 1:20pm, BNP activists chanting slogans came through the House Building alley towards the Dainik Bangla intersection, where they were joined by hundreds of other fellow protesters.

About 1,000 more activists joined the march near the Fakirapool water tank.

Police chased away the protesters soon after they crossed the water tank area and detained some activists from the alleys.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was sentenced to five years in prison in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case on Thursday and has been in prison since.

BNP and its allies scheduled protests for Friday and Saturday following her conviction.