AL (activities banned) stages flash procession in Gulshan; cocktails hurled, 2 arrested

POlice say the crude bombs were recovered from the possession of arrested Awami League activistsCourtesy: PoliceA flash procession was staged in Gulshan by leaders and activists of the Awami League, whose activities have been banned in the country, and its affiliated organisations.

Police detained two people in connection with the procession and said five cocktails were recovered from them. The arrested individuals were identified as Abdur Rahim, 49, and Md Arafat, 20.

Gulshan police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Daud Hossain confirmed the information on Friday afternoon.

He told Prothom Alo that around 150–200 leaders and activists of the Awami League, whose activities have been banned in the country, and its affiliated organisations gathered in an alley off Road No. 3 in Gulshan at around 11:45 am on Friday and attempted to stage a procession.

When police moved to disperse them, the processionists allegedly threw cocktails at the police. Police subsequently fired two rubber bullets to disperse the procession and bring the situation under control.

Arrested Abdur Rahim and ArafatCourtesy: PoliceThe OC further said two people who had taken part in the procession were arrested and five cocktails were recovered from them. Legal proceedings in connection with the incident are under way. The law-and-order situation is currently normal, he said.

On Thursday afternoon, police from Uttara West police station arrested four more leaders and activists of an affiliated organisation of the Awami League, whose activities are banned, while they were preparing to stage a procession in the capital’s Uttara area.

The information was disclosed in a press release issued by the media and public relations division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

The arrested individuals were identified as Junaid Mridha, 19, Rakibul Hasan, 23, Sazzad Hossain, 19, and Md Abdullah, 19.

According to the press release, citing Uttara West police station, activists of the banned organisation were preparing to stage a procession beneath the Abdullahpur flyover in Uttara West at around 1:15 pm on Thursday. A team of Uttara West police subsequently went to the spot and arrested them. A banner intended for the procession was also seized.