Chittagong Metropolitan Police yesterday foiled Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s 37th founding anniversary programme at Biplob Udyan of the port city, claiming that the party had not taken permission from the authority concerned.
BNP and local sources said police barred Chittagong BNP leaders, activists and its different associate bodies from carrying out any activities at the venue from morning until noon.
Law enforcement agencies were seen cordoning off the entire area.
In this regard, CMP Assistant Commissioner (Panchlaish circle) Dipak Jyoti Khisha said the party did not take any permission from the police to hold its programmes and therefore they were not allowed to enter Biplob Udyan as per the rules.
BNP Organising Secretary Golam Akbar Khandakar, along with some party men, came to the venue around 10am to offer floral wreaths at the Liberation monument in Biplob Udyan but police locked the gates of the venue, said eyewitnesses.
Later, the party men left the place.
Around 11:30am, Monwara Begum Moni, president of the city unit of Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal in Chittagong, along with activists attempted to enter the venue but police also barred them, sources said.
Following that, the activists locked in an altercation with the law enforcers and later brought out a protest procession led by Monowara Begum.
Till filing of this report, the whole of Biplob Udyan area was under surveillance and no further programmes of BNP was observed in the venue.