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BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been shown arrested in murder and arson cases filed with the Paltan Police Station.
"He has been shown arrested in two cases filed with Paltan Police Station over the killing of a police constable and arson incidents during BNP's Saturday rally in the capital," DMP Commissioner Md Habibur Rahman told the media Sunday evening.
Earlier in the Sunday morning, DMP Habibur informed the media that the detective police took BNP secretary general Mirza Fàkhrul Islam Alamgir in for questioning regarding certain matters.
He further stated that the police arrested two individuals in connection with the murder of police constable Amirul Islam Parvez (32).
The arrested individuals are Shamim Reza and Md Sultan.
"We have brought Mirza Fakhrul in for questioning. If we find anything significant, we will disclose it after the investigation. Right now, we have brought him in solely for questioning," he told the media after attending the funeral prayer (Namaz-e-Janaza) of slain police constable Amirul Islam Parvez (32) at Rajarbagh Police Lines in the capital.
He also mentioned that many BNP leaders might be responsible for what happened to the police on Saturday during the clashes.
Shamim Reza is the convener of Gaidandha district Swechhasebac Dal, an associated body of BNP.
He was arrested in Gaibandha, while Sultan was arrested in the Demra area of the capital.
UNB adds: Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) launched drives at the houses of several senior BNP leaders in the city on Saturday night, following the violence at Nayapaltan that left the two people dead on Saturday.
Police, both in uniform and plainclothes, cordoned off the Shahjahanpur residence of BNP's Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas after 3 am. Police, however, left the house as the BNP leader was not there at that moment.
Earlier, police also conducted a drive at BNP's Vice Chairman Abdul Awal Minto's Gulshan residence around 12 am, but he was not at home at the time. Later, they picked up his son Tajwar M Awal from the residence.
Police also carried out drives at several BNP leaders' residences on Sunday morning. Police detained BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir from his Gulshan residence on Sunday morning.
Amid BNP's hartal, a group of law enforcers raided Fakhrul's Gulshan-2 house and detained him around 9:25 am. Later, he was taken to DB headquarters on Minto Road.
Police also conducted drives at BNP Standing Committee Member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury's Banani residence at around 10:30 am but he was not at home.
Besides, police conducted drives at BNP's Joint Secretary Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal's homes at Lalmatia and Banani at around 10:40 am and 11:43 am respectively but the BNP leader was not there.
Police also raided the house of BNP Executive Committee member Ishraque Hossain's Gulshan residence at around 11 am but he was not there either.
Denouncing the detention of its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam, BNP on Sunday alleged that the government did it to scare the people.
The party warned that the government will no longer be able to retain power by resorting to oppression and by killing, and arresting BNP leaders and workers as they are united under the leadership of their acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
In a statement, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi also said, "The government has become desperate to hang onto power when the entire nation has burst into anger against it."