Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq said on Wednesday that a drive was conducted in the BNP’s Nayapaltan head office on information that they stored rice, pulse, sticks and cocktails.
“Today was an office day. They demonstrated there without any prior permission. SWAT and M-16 have been used against their attempt of committing subversive activities,” he told reporters.
He made the remark while replying to questions from journalists at an emergency press conference at the DMP Media Centre.
The DMP commissioner said the BNP men exploded cocktails from their party office and for that the drive was carried out.
“We beefed up security by increasing the number of police. It was an official day, and they (BNP) didn’t take prior permission to hold the rally”, he said.
Replying to a question whether a BNP activist was killed, the police officer said that they could not confirm the information.
“I was in a meeting. It has to be looked into,” he said.
Read more: Govt has staged the Nayapaltan clash to foil Dec 10 rally: Mirza Fakhrul
Asked why police attacked the BNP men and party office, which was seen on a video footage, he said “I don’t know how much footage you have seen; I didn’t see it.”
“So far, I know, their rally is on December 10. Today was an official day. They were holding the rally by blocking the road. They gathered and held rally by stopping traffic despite no scheduled programme. This is not lawful. They did not do the right thing,” he said.
About arrest and harassment of the BNP leaders and activists, the commissioner said that he had no idea about anything like this.
The DMP Commissioner also said that they beefed up security in the city to ward off any untoward incident centring the Christmas Day.
Earlier on Wednesday afternoon, the BNP activists gathered in front of the head office and started chanting slogans at Nayapaltan. Sensing that the situation could turn volatile, police asked the party members to leave the area immediately. This resulted in a heated argument and at one point, police started beating the activists with batons to disperse them.
Taking shelter in nearby lanes, BNP activists started throwing brickbats in return. To quell the protesters, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets towards them, which injured around 50 people.
Read more: 1 killed in police-BNP clash at Nayapaltan; Over 150 leaders, activists held
Falling sick due to inhaling tear gas, some 200 activists took shelter inside the BNP office. Later, police conducted a drive inside the office and arrested about 100 activists along with party leaders like Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed and Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie.
In another development, police obstructed Mahmudur Rahman Manna-led Ganatantra Mancha at the Nightingale Intersection of the capital from advancing towards Naya Paltan.