282 held as BNP men clash with cops in 5 dists

Sporadic clashes took place across the country today centring the special court verdict that sentenced BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to five years jail in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

Police detained at least 282 leaders and activists of BNP and its political alliance Jamaat-e-Islami who took to the streets in Chittagong, Brahmanbaria, Chandpur, Gaibandha and Mymensingh denouncing the verdict against their party chief Khaleda Zia, reports our local correspondents.

In Chittagong, law enforcers detained 15 BNP men including Shahdat Hossain president of the city unit BNP after a clash took place in front of the party office in Kazir Dewri area around 1:30 pm, our local correspondent reports quoting police.

Around 20 activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front Islami Chhatra Shibir were also held.  At least 24 activists were injured during the clashes locked with the law enforcers in the city.

Police also detained 148 others including 20 Jamaat activists from different upazilas in the district in separate drives conducted during the last 24 hours ended this evening, said Additional Superintendent of Police (Sadar) Rezaul Masud of Chittagong Metropolitan Police.

In Brahmanbaria, around 63 BNP activists were detained from nine upazilas in the district during the special drives started yesterday evening, District Intelligence Officer (DIO-1) Imtiaz Ahmmed told The Daily Star.

In Chandpur, police detained around 30 BNP-Jamaat alliance activists from different upazilas in the district, said Superintendent of Police in Chandpur Shamsunnahar.

In Gaibandha, a total of 20 leaders and activists of BNP and its different front and associate bodies were detained by the law enforcers during the drive from different parts of the Sadar upazila as the BNP men tried to bring out processions protesting the verdict against Khaleda Zia.

In Mymensingh, some 15 leaders and activists of BNP were injured during chases and counter chases with police as the party’s men staged out demonstrations in different areas of the upazila protesting the verdict.

A BNP activist was detained from the spot during the clashes, said Delwar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Gouripur Police Station.

Besides, in Dhaka, apprehending violence between law enforcers and BNP men, most of the public and private transports kept off the city roads during the day, while major roads and highways across the country were also free of traffic.