Leaders and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party's Khulna city have claimed that they have left their houses to avoid arrests as police have intensified drives ahead of the opposition party's mass rally in Dhaka on December 10.
Police are raiding houses of BNP leaders and activists every night by preparing an area-wise list of those who are set to participate in the Dhaka program, they said.
Police raided the houses of numerous leaders and activists, and arrested at least 50 of them in the last four days.
Police arrested Shariful Islam Tipu, in charge of the Metropolitan BNP office, when he went to the police station with food for the arrested activists on Tuesday.
Khulna Metropolitan BNP convener Shafiqul Alam Mana said that political leaders and activists are being arrested and harassed in the name of a special operation to thwart BNP's mass rally in Dhaka on December 10.
Hasan Al Mamun, officer-in-charge (OC) of Khulna Sadar police station, told UNB, "We are conducting operation as part of an anti-terrorism drive."
Though no directives have been given from central leaders, activists are going to Dhaka to avoid arrests, Shafiqul Alam Tuhin, member secretary of Metropolitan BNP, said.
