Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah has said that they will not entertain the applications of the Awami League and the BNP if the law enforcers observe that their scheduled programmes at Suhrawardy Udyan for tomorrow may incite clashes.
The arch rivals declared the programmes to celebrate and condemn the hotly-debated January 5, 2014 general elections.
“The deputy commissioner of Ramna zone and the OC of Shahbagh police have been asked to submit a report regarding the current law and order scenario in their areas,” the DMP chief told reporters after attending a programme at the Media Centre yesterday.
“We cannot give permission for any programme or rally that may pose a threat to public security,” he said, adding that they would sit for discussion if the parties wanted to talk to them on the matter.
Both the parties sought permission from the DMP on Saturday. Later the BNP proposed an alternative venue – in front of its Nayapaltan Headquarters, while the Awami League said that they would hold the main event on Bangabandhu Avenue and 17 other spots of the capital.
“If one of the parties decides to hold their programme peacefully in some other place, then the police do not have any reason to stop them. But if anyone tries to conduct any subversive activities, we will not spare them,” Asaduzzaman said.
Asked about the arrest of five Jamaat-e-Islami leaders with Tk1.47 crore from a house in the capital’s Banasree area on Saturday evening, the DMP chief said that they could not make any comment on the matter as an investigation was underway.
“We have not found any authentic source of the money recovered from them. We are investigating the matter,” he added.
Soon after the arrest, police said quoting the arrestees that they were planning to carry out attacks on January 5 and that the money was meant to be spent for that purpose. They were yesterday placed on a 10-day remand each.
The police have also taken special security measures so that the Jamaat supporters cannot conduct any subversive activities on January 6, centring the apex court verdict in the appeal case of their chief Motiur Rahman Nizami.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner (media) Maruf Hossain Sarder told the Dhaka Tribune that they had planned to deploy additional police and set up check posts in the Supreme Court area while plainclothes police would be on patrol. The city’s police stations were also asked to be on alert, he added.
