The National Citizen Party (NCP) called a protest in Habiganj on Wednesday over an alleged attack on its July march there on Tuesday.
Central leaders and party workers led by the NCP convener, Nahid Islam, set out for Habiganj to join the programme, but were obstructed along the way. As of the latest report on Wednesday afternoon, they were held up by police on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Kamaichhara in Bahubal upazila of Habiganj. Heavy rain fell at the time. The NCP leaders were standing there in the rain.
NCP leaders said the party’s convoy was stopped at Sreemangal in Moulvibazar shortly before 4pm.
The NCP’s chief coordinator, Nasiruddin Patwari, who was in the convoy, said: “We have been stopped in three places up to 5pm on our way to hold our programme. First with police, then by blocking the road with a truck and puncturing its tyres, and most recently by putting a tractor across the road.”
The NCP convener, Nahid Islam, said on his Facebook that they had passed a fourth barricade and were on the way to Habiganj.
The inspector (investigation) of Sreemangal police station, Abdur Razzak, said: “The convoy was stopped out of concern for their security. They did not listen to us. The convoy has passed Sreemangal.”
With section 144 imposed over the programme, the NCP had called an emergency press conference at the Habiganj Circuit House at 4.30pm. The party’s leaders and workers have still not been able to reach it.
Those in the convoy include the NCP convener Nahid Islam, the southern region chief organiser Hasnat Abdullah, the northern region chief organiser Sarjis Alam, the chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari and other senior leaders of the party.
The officer in charge of Habiganj Sadar police station, Zahidul Haque, said section 144 remains in force in the Habiganj municipal area. BGB personnel are deployed on the ground and a magistrate is also on duty there.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report