BNP on Monday alleged that the government has launched a mass arrest drive against its leaders and activists in the name of a countrywide ‘special drive’.

‘Law enforcers are carrying out a wholesale arrest of the leaders and activists of BNP and other parties across the country in the name of a special drive without any ground. Police and detectives are also raiding the houses of our leaders and activists and harassing their family members, including children,’ said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, reports UNB.

Speaking at a press conference at the Party’s Nayapaltan central office, he questioned the reason behind the sudden arrest of BNP men, and the filing of ‘false’ cases against them.

The BNP leader alleged that the government has got desperate to suppress its opponents through arrest and repressive acts out of fear of facing a movement.  ‘We strongly condemn the continued mass arrest.’

Rizvi, on behalf of BNP, urged the government to stop the ‘inhuman and heinous’ wholesale arrest of its leaders and activists.

He said their party’s several hundred leaders and activists were arrested in Dhaka, Sirajgonj, Bogra, Gaibandha, Chuadanga, Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Satkhira, Jhenidah, Mehepur, Bagerhat, Panchagarh and some other districts of the country over the last two days.

Besides, the BNP leader said their party-backed newly elected ward councillor of Comilla City Corporation, Ekram Hossain Babul, have been arrested in a ‘false’ case.

Rizvi alleged that the ruling party cadres hacked Chuadanga’s Alamdanga BNP leader Shawkat Ali Faraji to death in broad daylight on Saturday.

He demanded the government immediately arrest the killers and mete out exemplary punishment to them.