Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir BNP acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was arrested by detective police while party chairperson Khaleda Zia was still ‘confined’ to her Gulshan office in the capital on Tuesday. Mirza Fakhrul was arrested by detectives on Tuesday afternoon just after he came out of the National Press Club after staying overnight there. Police and witnesses said the members of law-enforcement agencies cordoned off the press club since Sunday afternoon. Detective police picked up Fakhrul from the entrance gate of the press club and took him straight to the DB Headquarters around 4:10pm. Shortly before his arrest, Fakhrul addressed a press briefing at the press club and urged all to join movement under the leadership of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. He told journalists that he wanted to come of the press club on Monday, but could not do so as police and ruling Awami League men surrounded the press club area. “I, therefore, decided to stay overnight at the press club on my personal security grounds. I am so grateful to journalist leaders for their cordial hospitality at night,” the BNP spokesperson said. After the press briefing, Fakhrul flanked by pro-BNP journalist leaders came out of the conference room of the press club at 3:50pm while pro-ruling party journalists staying at another room of the press club were chanting slogans against him. Pro-BNP journalists escorting him took towards his vehicle parked on the press club premises and Fakhrul got into his vehicle with his personal assistant. He moved to the main gate of the press club where a large number of law enforcers waited for arresting him, witnesses said. As Fakhrul’s car came to the main road in front of the press club, several DB personnel got into his car and drove it to the DB office in the Mintoo road of the capital. During his arrest, Fakhrul told newsmen, “Our movement will continue. No matter, police arrested leaders and activists.” Amid mounting pressure from pro-ruling party journalist leaders, Fakhrul who stayed overnight inside the press club decided came out of the place after holding a press conference. The BNP leader entered the press club on Monday around 2:30 pm to join a rally of pro-BNP professionals to mark ‘Democracy Killing Day’ and protesting the 10th parliament elections held on January 5 last year. When Fakhrul along with some BNP and its alliance leaders tried to come out of the press club after the rally, the ruling party-activists took position outside the club and obstructed them. Later, he took shelter at the press club and stayed overnight there while police cordoned off the club in a bid to arrest him. Meanwhile, the pro-ruling party journalist leaders staged a demonstration on the press club Premises on Tuesday noon, protesting the stay of political leaders at the press club. At a press conference at noon, Prime Minister’s Information Adviser and pro-ruling party journalist leader Iqbal Sobhan Chowhdury accused the National Press Club management of trying to make it a place of a particular party and using it for political purposes. He urged the press club authorities to free it from the unexpected overstay of political leaders, or else, he warned they would go for tougher action programmes. Addressing the press briefing at the press club, Mirza Fakhrul lamented that law enforcers did not allow them to hold rally on January 5 in the capital, confined Khaleda Zia to her Gulshan office, locked the BNP central office and arrested ailing BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. Claiming that the government has shut down private television channel Ekushey television, he denounced arrest of its chairman Abdus Salam. In a written statement, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia protested and denounced the arrest of her party acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. “The current fascist government has kept me confined to my political office and continuing arrest drives across the country, including the arrest of the BNP acting secretary-general,” Khaleda said. The BNP chairperson alleged that the incumbent government has intensified repression on people by abusing law enforcers. “I am calling the countrymen to be vocal against all undemocratic activities of the current illegal government.” Khaleda demanded immediately ‘unconditional’ release of all state prisoners, including Fakhrul, and withdrawal of all ‘false’ cases against them. Meanwhile, Khaleda Zia was still staying ‘confined’ to her Gulshan office since Saturday night. But she did not try to come out of her office on Tuesday. A large number of law enforcers were still deployed in front of the main gate of her office while two police-vans, water canon and some other vehicles of law enforcers were parked in front of the office. The sand-laden trucks kept in front of her office since Sunday midnight blocking the roads were withdrawn on Monday night. But the main gate still remained locked till 9pm. The security in front of her office was seen relaxed from 7:30pm on Monday night, but it has been again enhanced on Tuesday morning. A three-member delegation of Tablig-e Jamaat entered Khaleda’s office and talked to BNP leaders. “We came here to invite the BNP chief to join Biswa Ijtema slated for January 9.” Later, former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Emajuddin Ahmed met Khaleda Zia in the afternoon. While leaving her office, Emajuddin told reporters that Khaleda is seriously sick. The BNP chairperson on Monday afternoon tried to come out of her office to join a scheduled rally of the BNP-led 20-party alliance at Nayapaltan in the capital by a car, but she failed as law enforcers locked all the gates. Protesting her confinement to her office and not allowing the BNP-led alliance to hold the rally, Khaleda called a countrywide nonstop blockade from Tuesday. Besides, the BNP chief in a statement protested, denounced and expressed deep concern over the arrest of Ekushey TV chairman Abdus Salam and alleged that the mass media is being hardly controlled now. She also demanded release of detained journalists, including Abdus Salam, and withdrawal of cases against them.
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