The police did not allow the BNP to take out processions at seven points of the capital on Tuesday, the day of the 12th parliament went into its maiden session, citing a lack of permission for the street programme.
The BNP and like-minded opposition parties were supposed to take out processions holding black flags across the country, including in the capital today (Tuesday) demanding a fresh election under a non-party government.
In the capital, BNPs Dhaka south city unit was scheduled to bring out the black-flag processions in front of Pirjungi Mazar, Jatrabaris Kadamtoli Bus Station, New Market and Dayaganj intersection while the Dhaka north city unit in front of Suvastu Nazar Valley Shopping Mall at Shahjadpur, Uttara Section-12 Graveyard and near a mosque at Mirpur-6, also to demand the cancellation of the illegal dummy parliament.
BNP leaders and activists started gathering the seven spots with black flags to hold their programmes, but police obstructed them from taking out processions saying that the party did not get permission for the programme from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) authorities.
Meanwhile, police picked up BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan as he went to near a graveyard of Uttara-12 in the capital around 2 pm to join BNPs black-flag g procession.
A group of police obstructed Dr Moyeen as he was addressing the gathering and took him to a police van.
Later, the BNP leader was released and allowed to go to his Gulshan residence riding his vehicle.
Md Shahjahan, deputy commissioner of Uttara Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said "Moyeen Khan was neither arrested nor detained. We asked him to wait."
"We also asked him to refrain from joining the black-flag procession," he said.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP)s Uttara Zones additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Mirza Salahuddin said the party tried to hold a programme without any permission.
He said the BNP sought permission from the DMP to hold the programme but the party was not permitted in a b bid to maintain law and order in the city. "That is why we didn allow them to hold the programme."
He said they also picked up 8 to 10 people from the spot for questioning.
Besides, police also foiled BNPs processions in other areas of the capital and detained some BNP leaders and activists. —UNB
