30 Jamaat men held in Gaibandha
The party calls hartal in Cox's Bazar today
Police arrested 30 leaders and activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, including its district ameer, at Nayaparra village in Gobindaganj upazila on Friday night.
Jamaat district Ameer Abdur Rahim Sarker, upazila Ameer Abul Hossain, activists Nurunabbi Prodhan, Abul Kalam Azad, Abdul Bari and Abdul Qaiyum, are among the arrestees.
On secret information, police raided the house of Abdul Mannan, Jamaat Gobindaganj Pourasave municipality) ameer, while the party men were holding a 'secret' meeting there and arrested them.
The law enforcers also seized seven motorbikes and a microbus from the spot, police said.
Jamaat district nayeb-e-ameer Abdul Waresh and its secretary Abdul Karim Sarker condemned police attack on the peaceful party meeting. He demanded immediate release of the party leaders and activists.
Meanwhile, Jamaat will enforce a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Cox's Bazar today, demanding immediate release of its district nayeb-e-ameer Shahjalal Chowdhury, according to a correspondent.
Police on Thursday arrested Shahjalal, also Ukhia upazila Parishad chairman, for his alleged involvement in attacking Morichha Dipankar Buddha Bihar in the upazila.
Criminals attacked Buddhist villages and temples in Ramu, Ukhia and Teknaf on September 29 and 30 last year, burning down more than a dozen Buddhist and Hindu temples and homes.
A Facebook page of a Buddhist boy sparked the violence. The Daily Star in its own investigation later found the page showing a photo insulting the Quran was faked, apparently to use it as a ground for the attack.
Police named Shahjalal as the prime accused in a case filed in connection with the attacks
BNP Cox's Bazar district unit President Shahjahan Chowdhury and also the elder brother of the detained Jamaat leader, said district unit has expressed its solidarity with the hartal.
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