On Tuesday, the day the 12th parliament began its first session, the police refused to let the BNP conduct processions at seven locations throughout the capital, claiming that the street program did not have permission.

On Tuesday, the BNP and other like-minded opposition parties were scheduled to stage processions with black flags across the nation, including in the capital, calling for new elections to be held under a non-party administration.

The BNP's Dhaka north city unit was to demand the cancellation of the "illegal dummy" parliament in front of the Suvastu Nazar Valley Shopping Mall at Shahjadpur, Uttara Section-12 Graveyard, and near mosque at Mirpur-6. In the capital, the BNP's Dhaka south city unit was to stage black-flag processions in front of Pirjungi Mazar, Jatrabari's Kadamtoli Bus Station, New Market, and Dayaganj intersection.

Black-flagged gatherings of BNP officials and activists began at the seven locations where they planned to hold their programs. However, police prevented them from removing processions, claiming that the party had not received authorization from Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) authorities for the event.

Meanwhile, police picked up BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan as he went to near a graveyard of Uttara-12 in the capital around 2 pm to join BNP’s black-flag g procession.

A group of police obstructed Dr Moyeen as he was addressing the gathering and took him to a police van.

Later, the BNP leader was released and allowed to go to his Gulshan residence riding his vehicle.

Md Shahjahan, deputy commissioner of Uttara Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said “Moyeen Khan was neither arrested nor detained. We asked him to wait.”

“We also asked him to refrain from joining the black-flag procession,” he said.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP)'s Uttara Zone's additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Mirza Salahuddin said the party tried to hold a programme without any permission.

He said the BNP sought permission from the DMP to hold the programme but the party was not permitted in a b bid to maintain law and order in the city. “That is why we didn’t allow them to hold the programme."

He said they also picked up 8 to 10 people from the spot for questioning.

Besides, police also foiled BNP’s processions in other areas of the capital and detained some BNP leaders and activists.

BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy went to Pirjungi Mazar in the capital’s Motijheel area around 2:20pm but failed to take out the procession.

Talking to reporters, he said holding rallies and processions is a democratic and constitutional right of the political parties.

“We sent a letter to the DMP police commissioner informing them about our plans to peacefully bring out processions at 7 places in the capital. But the police obstructed us everywhere. We strongly condemn and protest this action of the police.”

He claimed that without cause, the government is detaining BNP leaders and members and preventing them from holding a nonviolent event.

According to the BNP leader, party leaders and activists were dispersedly remaining near the procession places to conduct the program in the presence of law enforcement. However, we don't want to get into a fight or altercation with the cops.

At one point, when the party's plan was thwarted, Gayeshwar drove away from the scene.

According to Abul Kalam Azad, the office-in-charge (OC) of Motijheel Police Station, the BNP did not obtain authorization to host the event."

End//voice7news.tv