More than 150 BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists were arrested in several districts across the country on Wednesday.
Police had arrested BNP’s Chittagong unit President Dr Shahadat Hossain in Dhaka from the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court premises around 5pm Wednesday.
In Satkhira, police arrested 71 people, including nine alleged Jamaat-e-Islami activists and many BNP men from different upazilas of the district on various charges.
According to police sources, 25 were arrested from the Sadar upazila, 12 from Kalaroa, four from Tala, six from Kaliganj, eight from Shyamnagar, 10 from Ashashuni, two from Debhata and Patkelghata upazilas wanted in various cases including vandalism.
A shooter gun, six bombs, some bullets and three jihadi books were found during the drive, said Ali Ahmed Hasmi, officer-in-charge of the Satkhira DB police.
In Hili, Dinajpur, police arrested local Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Bari from the Moheshpur area in Hili of Dinajpur early Wednesday.
Hakimpur police OC Anwar Hossain said police arrested Bari was wanted in a vandalism case.
In Rajbari, a local court sent 27 BNP men to jail after their arrests from Goalando upazila of Rajbari in several cases including vandalism.
According to court sources, the BNP persons were wanted in many cases.
In Bogra, law enforcers arrested more than 50 BNP leaders and activists in several areas of the district in the early hours of the day.
Bogra district unit Office Secretary Ziaul Islam Apple said police arrested more than 50 leaders and their activists.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in a statement said that the law enforcement agencies arrested over 800 BNP men across the country in the last two days.
"Police arrested these leaders and activists on their way to and from our peaceful program at Suhrawardy Udyan, and in different districts, including Dhaka, Gazipur, Bagerhat, Meherpur, Narayanganj, Feni, Tangail, Meherpur, Natore, Rangpur, Bogra and Narsingdi,” said Fakrul.