Dhaka: Accusing law enforcers of detaining its over 100 leaders and activists from its token hunger-strike programme in the city, BNP on Wednesday alleged that the government has taken a strategy to arrest its opponents by giving permission for their programmes.

‘Police swooped on our leaders and activists after the end of our token hunger-strike programme at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, and arrested them indiscriminately,’ said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

Speaking at a press conference at the BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he further said, ‘The government has resorted to a new strategy to arrest our leaders and activists by giving us verbal permission for holding our programmes.’

Earlier in the day, BNP observed a two-hour token hunger-hunger strike programme peacefully from 10am to 12pm on the premises of Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, demanding its Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s release from jail and her proper treatment.

Rizvi alleged that the government has given police a licence to arrest opposition leaders and activists in a freestyle ahead of the national election to hold another ‘lopsided, voter-less’ polls. ‘We strongly condemn it.’

He demanded the government immediately release the arrested BNP leaders and activists.

The BNP leader claimed that police arrested their 107 party leaders and workers from today’s hunger-strike programme in the capital.

Rizvi warned that the government will not be able suppress people with rampant arrests and repressive acts. ‘Rather, it’ll only provoke people to take to the streets to out bust their pent-up anger.’

He also alleged that their party’s over 300 leaders and workers were arrested on Monday from the BNP’s human chain programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club.