Law enforcers are taking a hard-line on gatherings of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders in public places ahead of the court verdict in the graft case against its Chairperson Khaleda Zia on February 8.
The law enforcers in separate drives arrested over 400 BNP leaders and activists including a central leader in the last six days.
Police HQs directed its officers and intelligence agencies, including superintendents of police (SPs) to increase vigilance on local leaders and activists of the BNP and Jamaat-Shibir, sources said.
A high official of police, preferring anonymity, told The Daily Observer that police are doing their regulars works like arresting criminals.
In Dhaka, Assistant Organising Secretary of BNP Central Committee Masukur Rahman Mashuk was detained on Sunday from Gulshan in connection with the attack on a police van in Supreme Court area on January 30. "We have been searching Mashuk for several days in connection with his involvement in the attack on a police van," police said.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Nazmul Alam, Deputy Commissioner of Detective Branch (DB) of police, said 13 BNP men, who were detained near Le Méridien Dhaka hotel where the party was holding its national executive committee meeting yesterday, will be produced before a Dhaka court later in the day.
In Narayanganj, 20 activists of BNP including Mayor of Rupganj municipality Abul Bashar Bachcha were detained on charge of carrying out subversive activities on Sunday. In the last couple of days, several hundred BNP men were arrested across the country.
Police have detained 12 BNP leaders in two districts: 11 in Narayanganj and one in the south-western district of Narail. Zulfiqur Ali, senior vice-president of Narail BNP, was picked up from his residence in Adalatpur early Sunday, said Narail police OC Anwar Hossain.
Ali, a former municipality mayor, is named in several cases filed with the Narail Police Station, the OC said, "Police arrested him to prevent possible acts of sabotage."
BNP claimed police were conducting drive at every house to arrest their leaders and activists. BNP leaders and activists are on the run following a raid after Tuesday's attack on policemen in the High Court area.
Party leaders described the police action against the BNP rank and file as the government's barometer to gauge the possible intensity of the protest that could erupt after the February 8 court verdict in the Orphanage Trust graft case in which Khaleda Zia is one of the main accused.
The government has already planned to deploy law enforcement personnel on the streets, create artificial crisis of mass transports and sue and arrest the opposition leaders and activists to intimidate them, they claimed.
The ruling party thinks it will benefit if a frustrated BNP resorts to violence over the verdict, giving the government an excuse to suppress the BNP using the law enforcement.
AL leaders said the 30 January attack on the prison van allegedly by the BNP men helped the government to some extent to implement its plan.
In order to thwart the BNP's plan, the law enforcers have worked out a number of strategies.
In the recent past, pro-ruling party transport leaders and workers played a strong role in stopping the BNP from holding rallies and protest demonstrations.
