No arrest without specific reasons

Pro-BNP lawyers yesterday said the Dhaka Metropolitan Police chief had assured them that no leaders and activists of the party would be arrested without any specific allegation during polls time.

The assurance came when a six-member lawyers' delegation, led by Mahbub Uddin Khokon, met DMP Commissioner Mohammad Asaduzzaman Miah at his office.

"The DMP commissioner told us that police would not arrest any BNP leader and activist under section 54," Sanaullah Mia, a member of the team, told The Daily Star after the meeting.

According to section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, individuals may be arrested under suspicion of criminal activity without any order from a magistrate or a warrant under nine specific reasons.

Earlier in the day, the DMP said they would arrest the mayoral and councillor candidates who were accused or charge-sheeted in different criminal cases but did not get bail.

"Seven mayoral candidates and around 250 ward councillor candidates in both Dhaka South and North city corporation polls stand accused in criminal cases. Some of them secured bail, while the rest are wanted," said DMP Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam.

Talking to journalists at the DMP media centre yesterday noon, he said an operation of law enforcement agencies was underway in this regard.

Police would speed up their initiatives to detain the candidates against whom arrest warrants were issued.

Monirul, however, could not name the mayor and councillor hopefuls who were facing criminal cases and yet to be granted bail.

At a press conference yesterday morning, the BNP said the party-backed mayor and councillor aspirants, who were accused in cases, couldn't participate in the city polls campaign properly.

BNP International Affairs Secretary Asaduzzaman Ripon at the party's Nayapaltan office said Mirza Abbas, a mayor candidate in Dhaka South City Corporation, could not even start his campaign.

Abbas faces over 60 cases and he did not secure bail in some cases.