Cops foil pro-BNP event in capital

Police yesterday foiled a discussion of pro-BNP agriculturists in the capital as the organisers allegedly did not take prior permission from the law enforcers.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was scheduled to attend as the chief guest. Agriculturists Association of Bangladesh (AAB) arranged the programme marking the Independence Day at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) at 3:00pm. Witnesses said police took position there around 2:00pm and obstructed the organisers from holding the programme. Fakhrul, however, did not go to the venue.

AAB Member Secretary Hasan Zafir Tuhin said police barred them though they had taken permission from the venue authorities. "Police said we could not hold any programme with the BNP secretary general there," said Tuhin. He claimed no-one had ever taken permission from police to arrange such programmes there. Mamun Shah, assistant sub-inspector of Tejgaon police, told reporters that he had gone there as part of his duty and claimed he did not know anything regarding the matter. Mazharul Islam, officer-in-charge of Tejgaon police said the organisation did not even inform them, let alone taking permission.

Meanwhile, the party planned to stage demonstrations across the country tomorrow, protesting an arrest warrant issued against its Chairperson Khaleda Zia, announced Rizvi Ahmed, senior joint secretary general, yesterday. A Dhaka court on Wednesday issued the arrest warrant against Khaleda and 27 others in connection with a case filed for an arson attack on a passenger bus in the capital's Jatrabari on January 23 last year, where one person was killed and 30 others injured.