BNP leaders have alleged that law enforcement agencies are carrying out mass arrests in Kotalipara in the aftermath of clashes centering around a rally of the National Citizens’ Party (NCP) in Gopalganj.
This allegation was made on Sunday, at a press conference held at the party office in Ghaghor Bazar of the upazila, reports Prothom Alo.
Regarding the local BNP’s accusation, Kotalipara Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abul Kalam Azad said: “We are not conducting any mass arrests. We are only arresting those involved in the incident. So far, 30 people involved in the incident have been arrested. How is this a mass arrest?”
At the press conference, Kotalipara BNP President SM Mohiuddin said that on Wednesday, leaders and activists of the Upazila Awami League and its affiliated organizations blocked the Kotalipara–Poysarhat road and gathered at WABDA Hat in the upazila to hold a protest rally and march.
He also said that they cut down trees in several parts of the road, disrupting the movement of the general public. In connection with this incident, Kotalipara police have filed a case mentioning the names of 155 people and listing 1,500 unidentified individuals as accused.
Mohiuddin strongly protested what he called the harassment of ordinary people under the guise of arrests related to this case.
Kotalipara BNP General Secretary Abul Bashar Hawlader said: “From what we’ve learned, most of the accused in this case are ordinary citizens. The majority have no connection with politics. So, how were these innocent people named as accused, and under whose instigation?”
Addressing the law enforcement agencies, Kotalipara Municipality BNP General Secretary Oliur Rahman Hawlader said: “You were present during the protest. Yet you couldn’t arrest a single person at that time. You have footage. You could have identified and arrested the actual culprits by reviewing the footage. But instead, you are arresting innocent people. We strongly condemn and protest this.”
Issuing a warning, Oliur added: “We do politics for the people. If you harass those people, we will resist it alongside the general public.”
