N'ganj police arrests 16 Jamaat activists 'handed over by AL partymen'
Asked why they were arrested, Inspector (Operation) Habibur Rahman of Siddhirganj Police Station said, "According to locals, they were trying to start fires on the road."
Police arrested 16 Jamaat activists, who were supposedly handed over to law enforcers by the Awami League men, from Narayanganj's Hajiganj area on Thursday.
Asked why they were arrested, Inspector (Operation) Habibur Rahman of Siddhirganj Police Station said, "According to locals, they were trying to start fires on the road. They were arrested at that time."
He said preparations were underway to file a case over the alleged incident.
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"For now, efforts are being made to find out their rank and on whose orders they were carrying out the sabotage activities."
The arrested are AKM Nurullah (68), Mainuddin (23), Abdus Sattar (63), Shamim Ahmed (38), Mohammad Afaz Uddin (41), Mohammad Momin (37), Anwar Hossain (42), Belayet (37) Abdul Kashem. (34), Zaman (38), Hasan (34), Habibur Rahman (50), Sohail Rana (31), Motasim Mamun (43), Mamun (32), Rubel Rana (27).
Earlier, the leaders and activists of Jamaat brought out a procession from the Talla neighbourhood of Hajiganj in support of the fifth phase of the blockade programme announced to push home their demand for elections under a caretaker government.
Locals said an Awami League "peace rally" march was taking place on the same road.
When the two met, chase and counter chases ensued.
Tamim Islam Joy, former information affairs deputy secretary of the Chhatra League Central Committee, said, "We started an anti-blockade march and peace rally programme in the morning. When we marched towards Hajiganj, we saw the Jamaat activists preparing for sabotage. Everyone ran and chased them. We then handed them over to the police."
Confirming the arrest of Jamaat leaders and activists, Narayanganj Metropolitan Jamaat-e-Islami President Abdul Jabbar said in a message sent to the media, "A peaceful protest march was held in Narayanganj city today against the announcement of the schedule.
"After the protest march and short rally, the local Awami League workers wrongfully held the common people, including some Jamaat activists, and handed them over to the police. Some of them were physically injured. I strongly condemn and protest against such activities."
7 Jamaat men arrested along with cocktails in Barishal
Seven leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami were arrested during a procession organised to protest the announcement of the election schedule in Barishal on Thursday.
Police also claimed to have seized six cocktails from the procession, which started on the Dhaka-Barishal highway in the Natun Shikarpur area of Wazirpur upazila of the city, according to Zafar Ahmed, the officer-in-charge of Wazirpur Model Police Station.
Over 30 Jamaat men initiated the protest march around 2:30pm on Thursday (November 16).
Upon receiving the information, the police intervened and stopped the procession.
A case regarding this incident is currently in process, added the police officer.
