Six sent to jail over procession by banned BCL men in Netrokona

Police have arrested six local leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations in Netrokona’s Purbadhala upazila following a sudden procession allegedly brought out by activists of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on Friday.

The arrests were made during raids in different areas of the upazila on Friday night after a case was filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, said Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun, officer-in-charge of Purbadhala Police Station, today.

The arrestees are Rafiqul Islam Khokon, 49, Masud Rana, 22, Shahjahan, 44, Ataur Rahman, 45, Mazharul Islam Prince, 28, and Hazrat Ali, 46.

Of them, Rafiqul is the general secretary of the Bangladesh Muktijoddha Projonmo League central committee.

The six were produced before a court today, which sent them to jail, the OC said, adding that drives are underway to arrest the remaining accused.

According to police and local sources, a sudden procession was brought out in the Fazilpur area along the Shyamganj-Birishiri road on Friday morning under the leadership of Purbadhala Upazila Chhatra League General Secretary Shahadat Hossain.

A video of the procession was later shared from the verified Facebook page of the Bangladesh Awami League as well as Shahadat’s personal Facebook account.

Following the incident, Syed Jahangir Alam alias Monirul Haque, a member of the upazila BNP, filed a case with Purbadhala Police Station on Friday night against 33 named and 30-35 unnamed individuals.

The case accuses them of holding an unauthorised procession, carrying out sabotage, and damaging vehicles.