Pistols, bullets recovered from AL rally surroundings

Three pistols and 66 rounds of bullets have been recovered from the surroundings of Awami League's rally venue at Suhrawardi Udyan, where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina delivered speech.

Sub-Inspector Jahangir of Shahbagh police station told the Dhaka Tribune that one pistol was recovered from Suhrawardi Udyan while two others from TSC gate and Kali Mandir area.

"Of the bullets, 40 were recovered from Suhrawardi Udyan, 18 from TSC gate area and eight from Kali Mandir area," he added.

Ruling Awami League held the rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital on Monday afternoon, marking Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s homecoming day on January 10.

Earlier, the rally was scheduled to be held on Jan 10. But, it was deferred to January 12 as the date coincided with the Biswa Ijtema.

The rally presided over by Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, began around 3pm.

Hundreds of leaders and activists of the ruling party and its associate organisations thronged the rally venue from Monday morning.

BNP's student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal has also enforced a day-long general strike in Dhaka and its surrounding districts in the day. However, the Dhaka city was out of the purview of the hartal.

Bangladesh has been suffering from a non-stop roads and waterways blockade enforced by the BNP since January 5.