On the death anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, law enforcement agencies have taken strict security measures in the Dhanmondi 32 area of the capital to prevent sabotage and untoward incidents.
Members of the police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Ansar, and joint forces have been on high alert since Friday morning.
Similarly, leaders and activists of the local BNP and its affiliated organizations have also remained alert. They were seen chanting various slogans and chasing anyone they suspected of being an Awami League supporter.
Police had set up barricades at the entrance to Dhanmondi 32, blocking both sides of the road. In front of the residence of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, several police personnel were on constant guard.
Around 10am, police stopped a woman coming from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar with flowers from entering Dhanmondi 32. The woman claimed to be an Awami League activist and said she had come to pay respects to the family members of Sheikh Mujib.
However, when an agitated crowd surrounded her, the police quickly helped her leave the area by rickshaw.
Police and witnesses said that at least 15 people, including that woman, had come in the morning to pay respects. None of them were allowed to enter.
Since Friday morning, a few individuals had arrived at Dhanmondi 32 to pay tribute. However, they faced the wrath of local political activists from various parties.
From Thursday afternoon, police detained at least seven individuals at the entrance of Dhanmondi 32.
Police said they were in a strict position to ensure that no one from the banned Awami League and the banned student organization Chhatra League could enter the area. Maximum caution was being maintained to prevent possible acts of sabotage.
According to police information, between 8:30pm and 12:30am on Thursday night, BNP leaders and activists beat up four people on suspicion of being Awami League members in the Dhanmondi 32 area and handed them over to the police.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police for the Dhanmondi zone, Zisanul Haque, said: “We are on maximum alert so that no one can create any kind of disorder or commit sabotage. A sufficient number of police personnel have been deployed.”
