Police detained several BNP leaders and activists, including its standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Dhaka north city unit convener Amanullah Aman, as they took to the streets to observe their sit-in program at the entry points of Dhaka.
Despite the heavy presence of law enforcers, BNP leaders and activists gathered at several entry points of the capital to observe their five-hour sit-in program, fueling the fear of clashes and violence.
The opposition activists took position at Shonir Akhra, Dholaikhal, Rayerbagh, Jatrabari and Nayabazar and some areas of Uttara and Gabtoli around 11am, but law enforcers obstructed them in all areas.
BNP leaders and activists engaged in a clash at Dholaikhal intersection around 11:30am.
At one stage, police lobbed teargas shells on the opposition activists who also retaliated with brickbats.
Later on, the police dispersed BNP followers and detained Gayeshwar from the spot.
The police detained Aman from Gabtoli Bus Station around 12pm as he along with BNP activists tried to stage a sit-in there.
Aman, together with the opposition activists, gathered in front of Khalek Paribahan bus counter around 11am while the ruling party activists took position at a close distance.
At one stage, police asked Aman and the BNP men to leave the area.
As Aman declined, a clash broke out between the opposition activists and police.
At one point, Aman laid down on the road in front of Nabil Paribahan on Mazar Road, but law enforcers put him in a police van.
They also arrested five other BNP activists from the spot.
Police dispersed the BNP leaders and activists from all other areas, including Uttara and Jatrabari as of 12:30pm. They also arrested an unspecified number of opposition leaders and workers from different areas.
Meanwhile, a huge number of law enforcers have been deployed at the key entry points of Dhaka centring BNP’s sit-ins as Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Friday night said it would not allow the party to hold their programme.
Earlier on Friday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced, from their grand rally at Nayapaltan, that they will stage a five-hour sit-in program at all important entry points of the capital on Saturday to press home their one-point demand.
As per the party’s plan, Dhaka north city unit of BNP was supposed to stage sit-ins in front of Uttara BNS Centre and Gabtoli's SA Khalek Bus Station while the Dhaka south city unit was to be in front of Nayabazar BNP office and in front of Dania College on Chattogram Road at Jatrabari.
Later, Awami League and its youth wing, Jubo League, announced peace rallies at Abdullahpur, Tongi, Gabtoli, Aminbazar, Babuh Bazar, Signboard, Kanchpur, Jatrabari and other entry points of the city from 10 am to 5 pm.
Amid the growing fear of violence and confrontation, Dhaka Metropolitan Police said it will not allow BNP and Awami League to hold such programmes at the entry points of the capital considering the intelligence reports of deteriorating law and order and public suffering.
