Police have detained 67 BNP-Jamaat leaders and activists in the span of 48 hours, during a raid conducted in three upazilas of Meherpur.
In the raid conducted in different villages, several police teams combed the region from the early hours of Tuesday to the early hours of Thursday, suspecting that the detained were planning acts of sabotage.
Law enforcers also seized 13 bombs, 25 crude grenades, and 65 firecrackers during the raid.
According to the control room of district superintendent of police, law enforcers from the Gangni police station detained 23 suspects, while Sadar police held 19 and Mujibnagar police two—in the early hours of Thursday.
Additionally, 23 suspects were detained, early on Tuesday, from Pakuria Village in Meherpur.
Confirming the matter to the Dhaka Tribune, Gangni police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Harendranath Sarkar said: “Based on a tip-off, we detained several suspects while they were holding a secret meeting near Pakuria Primary School. The rest were picked up from the village in a raid.
“A sabotage case has been filed against them.”
All 67 of these suspects are leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.
Meanwhile, a press release issued by Masud Arun, district BNP unit president and former lawmaker, said: “The incumbent government is running a campaign of fear against the opposition party, and as part of this move BNP-Jamaat leaders and activists are being detained indiscriminately.”
Masud urged the government to halt the indiscriminate arrest and detention of opposition party leaders in fabricated cases, and demanded the unconditional release of those being held by the police.
