Dhaka: Few minutes before its scheduled conclusion, police on Thursday foiled BNP’s sit-in programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the capital demanding release of its chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

When the party vice chairman AZM Jahid Hossain was addressing the programme around 11:47am, plainclothes police swooped on Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal’s Dhaka north city unit president Mizanur Rahman Raju from the gathering. That triggered a scuffle between law enforcers and BNP followers.

As BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakfrul Islam Alamgir and other senior leaders tried to save Raju from police, the law enforcers chased them and foiled the programme.

Talking to reporters before leaving the press club premises, Fakhrul said police foiled their peaceful programme without any provocation. ‘We strongly condemned and protest it.’

He demanded the government take action against those foil their programme without any reason.

Earlier, several hundred BNP leaders and activists gathered in front of the Jatiya Press Club and started their programme around 11:00am with party senior leaders joining it.

They chanted various slogans seeking Khaleda Zia’s immediate release amid tight security.

As part of its countrywide scheduled programme, BNP arranged the programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club seeking Khaleda Zia’s release from jail.

BNP’s district and city units are also scheduled to hold the programme across the country at their convenient time and venues.

On Tuesday last, the party leaders and followers formed a human chain at the same venue demanding that Khaleda Zia be released.