Law enforcers on Saturday arrested three BNP men, including its organising secretary Fazlul Haque Milon, from in front of their party office in the capital’s Nayapaltan while they were trying to join a procession, called by the party demanding its chairperson Khaleda Zia’s release from jail. The identities of the two other arrestees couldn’t be known immediately. However, the BNP sources claimed that police picked up its two activists in front of its party office.

Hundreds of leaders and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party started gathering in front of the party`s Naya Paltan central office to join the procession at around 1:50 pm. Meanwhile, additional police forces were deployed in the area as the party is set to take out the procession in the capital. Armoured personnel carrier (APC), water cannon and police vans have been kept ready in front of BNP office.

Officer-in-charge (OC) of Paltan Police Station Abu Bakar said security measures were taken to avert any untoward incident. BNP leaders and activists were staging demonstrations in the area demanding Khaleda Zia’s release from jail. The BNP activists could not march towards the Jatiya Press Club with their procession amid police obstructions.

“BNP leaders tried to march towards the Jatiya Press Club with a procession but police did not allow us to leave Nayapaltan area, “said assistant office secretary Saiful Islam Tipu. Being obstructed by police, BNP leaders and activists started their protest rally in front of its office around 2:30 pm, he added. Earlier in the morning, police cordoned off the BNP central office ahead of its protest procession. Law enforcers did not permit anyone to enter the office in the morning, BNP activists claimed.