Rizvi took shelter at Khaleda’s Gulshan office to avoid arrest

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Rizvi Ahmed has been staying at Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office since last morning after a Dhaka court on Monday issued arrest warrant against him.

A Dhaka court on Monday issued arrest warrant against nine BNP leaders including Rizvi in an arson case filed with Pallabi Police Station last year.

Party sources said the BNP senior leader was seen in public till Thursday night.

“On Friday morning, he held a press briefing at BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office, but didn’t come out from there after the programme around 11:45am,” Sayrul Kabir Khan, a staff of BNP chairperson’s media wing, told The Daily Star.

Sources at Gulshan office said Rizvi preferred to stay at Khaleda’s Gulshan office fearing police arrest if he comes out the office.

Mobile phone of Rizvi was found switched off from this morning.

Rizvi earlier on different occasions since 2013 opted to stay at the BNP’s Naya Paltan central office to avoid police harassment.

In 2013, Rizvi stayed at the Naya Paltan office for two months at a stretch. He however was arrested several times from the office.

In January 2015, police forcibly picked up Rizvi from BNP’s Nayapaltan central office and admitted him to Apollo Hospital at Bashundhara saying that the BNP joint secretary general had been feeling ill and that they helped him taking to the hospital.

After two days, Rizvi left the hospital without telling its authority and went into hiding since January 6.