Dhaka: Detectives reportedly detained BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and it’s executive committee member Anindya Islam Amit in the city on Tuesday night ahead of the court verdicts to be delivered on February 8 in a graft case of the party chairperson Khaleda Zia.

BNP chairperson’s media wing member Shamsuddin Didar told UNB that a team of Detective Branch (DB) of police picked up from Goyessor in front of Police Plaza Concord Shopping Mall in the city’s Gulshan area, reports the UNB.

He said Gayeshwar was returning from the BNP chief’s Gulshan office.

Didar said, another team of DB police arrested Amit, son of BNP standing committee member Toriqul Islam, from his Shantinagar residence at midnight.

Meanwhile, BNP’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi alleged that Gayeshwar was arrested as part of government’s ‘dangerous and evil design’.

Speaking at an emergency press briefing at BNP Nayapaltan Central Office, he said, ‘Gayeshwar Chandra Roy has been arrested at a time when people are taking preparation resist the government conspiracy against our leader Khaleda Zia. He has been arrested as part of a dangerous and evil design of the government.’

The BNP leader said the government has started arresting their party leaders as a last resort to stay in power but it will not work, ‘People will foil your evil designs.’

Rizvi also warned that the government will not be able to spread panic among BNP leaders and activists across the country by arresting Gayeshwar and other leaders. ‘Rather, it will make people agreed further and encourage them to come up with strong resistance if anything unjust is done to Khaleda Zia on February 8.’

The BNP leader also alleged that they have got information that police started raiding the house of Swechchhasebak Dal president Shafiul Bari Babu at midnight.

Rizvi strongly condemned and protested the arrest of Gayeshwar and raid on Babu’s house.

The BNP leader demanded the government immediately release Gayeshwar and stop arresting and harassing BNP leaders.

Earlier in the day, police detained 69 leaders and activists of BNP as they allegedly attacked law enforcers and snatched two of their peers vandalising a prison van in front of the High Court in the afternoon.

They also broke two rifle butts of police when law enforcers tried to resist the demonstrators, police said.

On Sunday, Gayeshwar threatened that their party would go for an outright oust-government movement if Khaleda Zia is ‘unlawfully’ convicted in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case.

Speaking at a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club, he had said, ‘Do you (govt) think we’ll only shed tears if you send Khaleda Zia to jail? We won’t cry. Rather, we’ll ensure your fall before her release.’